Mahmoud Khalil Is Suing the Trump Administration
Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil was detained and threatened with deportation by the Trump administration for protesting Israel’s genocide. He spoke to Jacobin about why he is now suing the administration.
“When you’re wrong on Palestine, that exposes how rotten your politics are. To miss that very clear principle says a lot about who you are and how you would represent your own people.” (Amanda Stronza / SXSW Conference & Festivals via Getty Images)
Since October 7, 2023, critics of Israel in Europe and the United States have faced serious repression. In the United States, college student protests against the unfolding genocide of Palestinians in Gaza were met with a heavy-handed response by police and university administrations.
Repression of pro-Palestine activists intensified with Donald Trump’s return to the White House in 2025, as the Trump administration began detaining and deporting noncitizen residents for their criticisms of the United States’ policy toward Israel. Mahmoud Khalil, a green card holder and former Columbia University graduate student, was an early victim of the crackdown. Though Khalil has been freed from detention, the government is still seeking his deportation; Khalil is now suing the Trump administration in turn for alleged violations of his rights.
In an interview for The Jacobin Show, Khalil spoke to David Griscom about his lawsuits against the administration, the repression of pro-Palestine voices, and the state of the movement for Palestine in the United States today. You can watch the full interview here. This transcript has been edited for length and clarity.
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