Mahmoud Khalil Sues Columbia and Israeli Dean: 'Her Priority Was Always Israel'

Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestinian protest activist at Columbia University who was arrested by immigration authorities and held 104 days at a detention facility in Louisiana, filed a federal lawsuit against the university and against the Israeli dean of the School of International and Public Affairs, Karen Yarchi-Milo, and demands compensation and return to campus.

Mahmoud Khalil and additional activists identified with the 'Palestine Working Group' at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, SIPA, filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday against the university and against the dean of the school, Israeli Karen Yarchi-Milo. According to the lawsuit, Columbia engaged in 'deliberate indifference,' did not protect group members from harassment, threats and 'doxxing,' and at the same time imposed restrictions on pro-Palestinian events and activities. The plaintiffs demand financial damages, Khalil's return to campus and the restoration of the working group to activity.

In a public video statement, Khalil claimed that within the university there exists 'institutionalized anti-Palestinian zeal,' and that in his first attempt to organize an event on the Palestinian issue he encountered 'obstacles' from Yarchi-Milo. About the dean he said: 'Her priority was never her students. Her priority was always Israel.' According to him, the situation worsened after the October 7 massacre, and he claimed the university presented a 'false narrative' regarding the nature of the protests, used surveillance means and even hired private investigators.

Columbia refused to comment individually on the allegations in the lawsuit and said that creating an environment in which all members of the university community feel welcome and safe is a fundamental principle. Yarchi-Milo herself wrote previously, after Khalil's arrest in 2025, that she 'unequivocally condemns any unlawful arrest by the United States government' and warned against harm to freedom of speech.

Khalil was a graduate student at SIPA and one of the representatives of activists who conducted negotiations with Columbia's administration during the 2024 protests. On March 8, 2025, immigration agents arrested him in a university-owned residential building where he lived, the Trump administration sought to deport him under a section of immigration law, and he was not charged with a criminal offense related to the protests. Khalil was held 104 days at an immigration detention facility in Louisiana and was released in June 2025, and according to reports, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani told him in February that he raised his issue with President Trump and asked the administration to cancel immigration proceedings against him.