Why is pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil suing Columbia University?

What the report says

Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate and prominent pro-Palestinian activist, has filed a lawsuit against Columbia University, its trustees and School of International and Public Affairs dean Keren Yarhi-Milo. According to Al Jazeera, the complaint alleges institutional racism and discrimination directed at Palestinian students and members of the Palestine Working Group, a campus organization that has been suspended by the university.

The case is tied to the campus protest movement that began at Columbia in 2024 and spread to other universities. Khalil says the university’s handling of those protests, along with what he describes as harassment, doxxing and threats, helped create the conditions that led to his later targeting by the Trump administration. He argues that Columbia’s response to Palestinian student activism was indifferent and discriminatory, and he is seeking reinstatement of the student group, access to campus, damages and an order blocking future discriminatory conduct.

Khalil became one of the most visible figures in the protest movement and was later arrested by US immigration authorities in March 2025. He was detained for 104 days before being released in June 2025, after a federal judge ruled against his deportation. The article says that legal challenges connected to his deportation and wider pro-Palestinian activism are still ongoing.

Al Jazeera reports that Columbia has not formally responded to the lawsuit, though it has said it is committed to campus safety and to addressing discrimination and harassment. The dispute comes amid broader pressure on US universities over Gaza-related protests and claims of antisemitism, alongside concerns from activists about free speech and discrimination against Palestinian students.