As restitution for the more than 100 days that immigration authorities detained him, Mahmoud Khalil is demanding $20 million from the Trump administration.
Lawyers for the pro-Palestinian activist and Columbia University graduate submitted a claim on Thursday, naming the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of State in the filing. The filing, which alleges false imprisonment and malicious prosecution, is required as part of the process to sue the government under the Federal Tort Claims Act.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Khalil said he wants to show the Trump administration that there are consequences for wantonly whisking people off the streets and into federal detention.
“They are abusing their power because they think they are untouchable,” Khalil told the outlet. “Unless they feel there is some sort of accountability, it will continue to go unchecked.”
Khalil is a permanent resident of the United States. He was arrested in March by ICE agents. The agency said at the time that Khalil was arrested “in support of President Trump’s executive orders prohibiting antisemitism.” It accused Khalil of leading “activities aligned to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization.”
Following his arrest, the New York City resident was quickly moved to an immigrant detention facility in Louisiana. He remained there throughout his detention, which ended on a judge’s orders last month. He was in that jail when his son was born and told the Associated Press that he would “never forgive” the Trump administration for that. The 30-year-old activist still faces the risk of deportation as his case moves through the courts.
Khalil said that he is willing to accept an official apology and an end to the Trump administration’s policy of arresting pro-Palestinian protestors and activists in lieu of a settlement.
Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin called Khalil’s claim “absurd” in a statement to the AP.
