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Mahmoud Khalil sues Columbia over harassment, ICE detention

By Drooid · Sep 14, 2026, 11:19 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Mahmoud Khalil sued Columbia University in New York federal court alleging harassment and retaliation.
The complaint says Columbia’s indifference caused doxing of pro-Palestinian students and Khalil’s ICE detention.
ICE arrested Khalil at his apartment in March 2025 and held him 104 days in jail.
A New Jersey federal judge ordered his release while his deportation case remains pending.
Columbia said it values a campus and declined comment on the case.

History

Historical Context

During the 1964-65 academic year, UC Berkeley students led by Mario Savio sparked the Free Speech Movement after Jack Weinberg’s October 1 arrest, a sit-in that held a police car for 32 hours and led to roughly 800 arrests in December. The movement’s campus-speech protections form the legal backdrop for Mahmoud Khalil’s 2025 lawsuit against Columbia University alleging retaliation and ICE-linked doxing of pro-Palestinian students.

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Story summary

Mahmoud Khalil sued Columbia University in New York federal court alleging harassment and retaliation.
The complaint says Columbia’s indifference caused doxing of pro-Palestinian students and Khalil’s ICE detention.
ICE arrested Khalil at his apartment in March 2025 and held him 104 days in jail.
A New Jersey federal judge ordered his release while his deportation case remains pending.
Columbia said it values a campus and declined comment on the case.

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