Former Columbia Student Files Complaint Over Detention
Mahmoud Khalil, previously a Columbia University student, has lodged a $20 million complaint against the Trump administration after being detained at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Center while facing deportation.
Khalil was taken into custody in March following a protest at Columbia that was notably anti-Israel. His detention extended for three months, but he was eventually released when a federal judge intervened.
In Newark, New Jersey, US District Judge Michael Farbear stated that federal prosecutors failed to justify the 104 days Khalil spent in detention since March 8. It was reported that Judge Farbear, appointed by President Joe Biden, highlighted how unusual it was for the government to pursue Khalil’s detention.
Khalil is now pushing for administrative complaints against the Trump administration. He is seeking $20 million in compensation, as reported by ABC News. The groundwork for this complaint was laid under the Federal Tort Claims Act.
According to the Center for Constitutional Rights, which represents Khalil, any financial compensation would be aimed at helping others who have faced similar targeting by both the Trump administration and Columbia University. Khalil has expressed willingness to accept a formal apology and a cessation of what he deems unconstitutional policies instead of monetary damages.
Khalil accuses the Department of State, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and ICE of conducting “retaliatory arrests” against him, relating to his freedom of speech.
The complaint alleges that Khalil was unjustly labeled as a terrorist sympathizer and anti-Semite due to his public statements, causing harm to his reputation and emotional distress.
DHS Deputy Director Tricia McLaughlin defended the Trump administration’s actions, asserting that they operated within their constitutional rights when detaining Khalil. She described his claims as absurd, stating it was Khalil who created fear among Jewish students on campus and asserted that his actions portrayed him as anti-Semitic.
