Mahmoud Khalil Sues Columbia University Over Civil Rights Violations

Former graduate student Mahmoud Khalil and 10 other activists filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Columbia University and Keren Yarhi-Milo, dean of the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), on September 14, 2026. The plaintiffs allege the university violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act by exhibiting deliberate indifference toward the pervasive harassment, doxxing, and surveillance of pro-Palestinian students.

Khalil asserts that the university's failure to protect students from harassment and its portrayal of protests as security risks created the conditions for his March 8, 2025, arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He was subsequently detained in a Louisiana jail for 104 days. The lawsuit claims Columbia's inaction facilitated his targeting by the Trump administration following an executive order aimed at combating anti-Semitism on college campuses.

Additionally, the suit accuses the university of retaliation for suspending the SIPA Palestine Working Group in September 2025 and revising disciplinary policies to target critics of the Israeli government. The plaintiffs seek monetary damages, the reinstatement of the student group, and the restoration of Khalil's campus access.

Columbia University declined to comment on the specific litigation. In a general statement, the university affirmed its commitment to protecting the community from discrimination and harassment, stating that creating a safe environment is fundamental to the institution.