Pro-Palestine activist Mahmoud Khalil has filed a lawsuit against Columbia University and Keren Yarhi-Milo, dean of the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), alleging "institutional racism" and discrimination against Palestinian students. The lawsuit, brought in collaboration with the student organization Palestine Working Group (PWG), claims the university's actions created an environment that led to Khalil being targeted by the Trump administration.

Khalil, a Columbia graduate, was a prominent figure in the 2024 student encampment protests against Israel's actions in Gaza. These protests, which began at Columbia, called for an end to the conflict and for universities to divest from companies linked to the Israeli military. Thousands of students across the U.S. were arrested during this period.

"We are suing because no student, regardless of their background, should go through the hell that Columbia put us through over all these years," Khalil stated during the announcement of the lawsuit. He further claims that Columbia University "laid the groundwork for my targeting by the Trump administration through its deliberate indifference and discrimination aimed at intimidating Palestinian students."

The lawsuit follows a federal judge's late-August ruling that dismissed efforts by the Trump administration to deport international students, including Khalil, for criticizing Israel's conduct. The judge found that the administration had violated the constitutional rights of these students during the deportation attempts.

Khalil's activism led to his arrest in March 2025. A widely shared video showed him being handcuffed and taken from his home by plainclothes officers. Authorities stated his arrest was for activities "aligned with Hamas." Khalil is a green card holder, making him a legal resident of the United States. His wife, a U.S. citizen, recorded the arrest while eight months pregnant.

The Palestine Working Group, a student organization advocating for Palestinian rights at Columbia, has had its activities indefinitely suspended by the university management. This suspension is a central grievance in the lawsuit, with the PWG joining Khalil to seek redress for what they describe as a pattern of discrimination.

Columbia University has not yet issued a response to the lawsuit filed against it and Dean Yarhi-Milo. The legal action highlights ongoing tensions between student activism related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and university administrations, as well as broader debates about free speech, academic freedom, and the rights of international students.

The implications of this lawsuit could extend beyond Columbia, potentially setting precedents for how universities address student protests related to geopolitical conflicts and how such activism intersects with immigration policies and constitutional rights. Unresolved questions remain about the university's specific actions that allegedly fostered a discriminatory environment and how these claims will be addressed in court.