Pro-Hamas campus activist Mahmoud Khalil, an Algerian national and green card holder, filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other Trump administration officials, seeking millions in damages after spending 104 days in ICE detention.

Khalil, who rose to prominence as a leader of the antisemitic protests and building takeovers at Columbia University, was detained by ICE in March 2025 over his prominent role in pro-Palestinian agitation. He was released earlier this year after activist courts intervened in his deportation case.

In the new lawsuit, Khalil accuses senior Trump administration officials, the Heritage Foundation, and watchdog groups Canary Mission and Betar of coordinating to target him for his activism. He is demanding compensatory and punitive damages, claiming the detention caused him to miss the birth of his son.

Announcing the suit, Khalil vowed revenge:  

“I will not stop fighting until everyone who willingly contributed to my missing the birth of my son and to taking 104 days of my life from me answers for what they’ve done.”

The case highlights the tension between immigration enforcement and protected speech, with critics arguing that Khalil — who enjoyed legal permanent resident status while leading disruptive and often hateful campus protests — is now attempting to weaponize the courts against the very government that granted him residency.

Khalil remains in the United States as his deportation proceedings continue.