Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian-American graduate student, has filed a lawsuit against Columbia University, alleging a prolonged pattern of anti-Palestinian discrimination, institutional indifference to harassment, and retaliation. The suit, announced on Monday, accuses the New York City institution of failing to protect him from persistent and coordinated abuse.
Khalil, who holds a U.S. green card, was pursuing his degree at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) when he was arrested by federal immigration agents at his university residence in March 2025. His detention marked one of the initial actions by the Trump administration to detain and seek the deportation of foreign nationals based on their pro-Palestinian activism.
The legal complaint characterizes the university’s response as demonstrating “deliberate indifference” to the hostile environment Khalil faced. By bringing the suit, Khalil is seeking accountability for what he describes as years of unchecked discrimination and the subsequent punitive measures taken against him following his arrest.
Another lawsuit against Columbia? At this point, I wonder if they just ignore these complaints entirely out of sheer indifference.
I didn’t know federal immigration agents were arresting students on campus like this. Does this apply to all international students now?
This is incredibly alarming. Universities must protect students from harassment, regardless of political views.