Far-left activist Mahmoud Khalil filed a new lawsuit Tuesday against the U.S. government, invoking the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871. Khalil claims federal officials illegally collaborated with pro-Israel organizations to facilitate his arrest and detention.
Khalil, 31, announced the Manhattan federal suit during a press conference outside the courthouse, accompanied by supporters including actors Cynthia Nixon and Morgan Spector. The lawsuit asserts that top White House officials conspired with the Heritage Foundation, as well as pro-Israel groups Betar and Canary Mission. Khalil alleges these entities smeared him and other student activists as anti-semites for criticizing the Israeli government, leading to their targeting by federal authorities.
The suit contends that this alleged campaign to harass Khalil, a former Columbia University student, violated the 1871 act. This law prohibits "conspiracies" aimed at infringing upon the civil rights of groups of people. Khalil was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in March 2025 and spent 104 days in a Louisiana jail.
"This lawsuit is about accountability and justice," Khalil stated at his press event. His legal filing claims that the named conservative and pro-Israel groups compiled lists of individuals critical of Israel, which were then provided to federal agencies and used to identify targets for ICE arrest and deportation.
This latest legal action is part of Khalil's ongoing dispute with the U.S. government regarding his potential removal from the country. He previously submitted a $20 million notice of claim, a precursor to a lawsuit, alleging false arrest and unlawful detention. Khalil also initiated another lawsuit concerning the matter.
Khalil, a Syrian-born Palestinian and a green-card holder married to a U.S. citizen, is expected to ask the U.S. Supreme Court in the coming weeks to prevent his expulsion. Immigration judges, overseen by the Trump administration's Justice Department, have ordered his removal.
The Heritage Foundation, Betar, and Canary Mission did not immediately respond to requests for comment. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson stated that the executive branch "has the lawful authority to take actions that will protect the public and to ensure the integrity of our immigration system," without directly addressing the lawsuit's specifics.