Internewscast Journal
  • Home
  • US News
  • Local News
  • Health
  • People
  • Guest Post
  • Support Our Cause
Internewscast Journal
  • Home
  • US News
  • Local News
  • Health
  • People
  • Guest Post
  • Support Our Cause
Home Local news Recently Released from ICE Custody, Mahmoud Khalil Sues Trump Administration for $20 Million
  • Local news

Recently Released from ICE Custody, Mahmoud Khalil Sues Trump Administration for $20 Million

    Freed from ICE detention, Mahmoud Khalil files $20 million claim against Trump administration
    Up next
    Heartbreaking goodbye to Texas student, 21, killed in July 4th floods
    A Heartfelt Farewell to a Texas Student, 21, Lost in July 4th Floods
    Published on 10 July 2025
    Author
    Internewscast
    Tags
    • administration,
    • against,
    • claim,
    • detention,
    • Donald Trump,
    • files,
    • freed,
    • from,
    • ICE,
    • Khalil,
    • Mahmoud,
    • mahmoud khalil,
    • Marco Rubio,
    • million,
    • Noor Abdalla,
    • Politics,
    • Tricia McLaughlin,
    • Trump,
    • U.S. news
    Share this @internewscast.com
    FacebookXRedditPinterest

    NEW YORK – One afternoon, Mahmoud Khalil found himself in his Manhattan apartment, cradling his 10-week-old son, reminiscing about the early morning hours he spent walking back and forth in a cold immigration facility in Louisiana. He was anxiously waiting for news of his child’s birth in New York.

    For a moment, the outspoken Palestinian activist found himself uncharacteristically speechless.

    “I cannot put into words the agony of that night,” Khalil finally expressed, looking at baby Deen, who cooed softly in his arms. “This is something for which I can never forgive.”

    Now, several weeks after gaining his freedom, Khalil is seeking justice. His attorneys, on Thursday, filed a $20 million lawsuit against the Trump administration, accusing it of false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, and tarnishing his name as an antisemite due to his active involvement in campus protests while attempting to deport him.

    The filing — a precursor to a lawsuit under the Federal Tort Claims Act — names the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the State Department.

    It comes as the deportation case against Khalil, a 30-year-old recent graduate student at Columbia University, continues to wind its way through the immigration court system.

    The goal, Khalil said, is to send a message that he won’t be intimidated into silence.

    “They are abusing their power because they think they are untouchable,” Khalil said. “Unless they feel there is some sort of accountability, it will continue to go unchecked.”

    Khalil plans to share any settlement money with others targeted in Trump’s “failed” effort to suppress pro-Palestinian speech. In lieu of a settlement, he said he would also accept an official apology and changes to the administration’s deportation policies.

    In an emailed statement, Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, called Khalil’s claim “absurd,” accusing him of “hateful behavior and rhetoric” that threatened Jewish students.

    A State Department spokesperson said its actions toward Khalil were fully supported by the law. Inquiries to the White House and ICE were not immediately returned.

    Harsh conditions and an ‘absurd’ allegation

    The filing accuses President Donald Trump and other officials of mounting a haphazard and illegal campaign to “terrorize him and his family,” beginning with Khalil’s March 8 arrest.

    On that night, he said he was returning home from dinner with his wife, Noor Abdalla, when he was “effectively kidnapped” by plainclothes federal agents, who refused to provide a warrant and appeared surprised to learn he was a legal U.S. permanent resident.

    He was then whisked overnight to an immigration jail in Jena, Louisiana, a remote location that was “deliberately concealed” from his family and attorneys, according to the filing.

    Inside, Khalil said he was denied his ulcer medication, forced to sleep under harsh fluorescent lights and fed “nearly inedible” food, causing him to lose 15 pounds (7 kilograms). “I cannot remember a night when I didn’t go to sleep hungry,” Khalil recalled.

    Meanwhile, the Trump administration publicly celebrated the arrest, promising to deport him and others whose protests against Israel it dubbed “pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity.”

    Khalil, who has condemned antisemitism before and since his arrest, was not accused of a crime and has not been linked to Hamas or any other terror group. “At some point, it becomes like reality TV,” Khalil said of the allegations. “It’s very absurd.”

    Deported for beliefs

    A few weeks into his incarceration, Khalil was awoken by a fellow detainee, who pointed excitedly to his face on a jailhouse TV screen. A new memo signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged Khalil hadn’t broken the law, but argued he should be deported for beliefs that could undermine U.S. foreign policy interests.

    “My beliefs are not wanting my tax money or tuition going toward investments in weapons manufacturers for a genocide,” Khalil said. “It’s as simple as that.”

    By then, Khalil had become something of a celebrity in the 1,200-person lock-up. When not dealing with his own case, he hosted “office hours” for fellow immigrant detainees, leaning on his past experience working at a British embassy in Beirut to help others organize paperwork and find translators for their cases.

    “I’m pretty good at bureaucracy,” Khalil said.

    At night, they played Russian and Mexican card games, as Khalil listened to “one story after another from people who didn’t understand what’s happening to them.”

    “This was one of the most heartbreaking moments,” he said. “People on the inside don’t know if they have any rights.”

    Lost time

    On June 20, after 104 days in custody, Khalil was ordered released by a federal judge, who found the government’s efforts to remove him on foreign policy grounds were likely unconstitutional.

    He now faces new allegations of misrepresenting personal details on his green card application. In a motion filed late Wednesday, attorneys for Khalil described those charges as baseless and retaliatory, urging a judge to dismiss them.

    The weeks since his release, Khalil said, have brought moments of bliss and intense personal anguish.

    Fearing harassment or possible arrest, he leaves the house less frequently, avoiding large crowds or late-night walks. But he lit up as he remembered watching Deen taking his first swim earlier in the week. “It was not very pleasant for him,” Khalil said, smiling.

    “I’m trying as much as possible to make up for the time with my son and my wife,” he added. “As well thinking about my future and trying to comprehend this new reality.”

    Part of that reality, he said, will be continuing his efforts to advocate against Israel’s war in Gaza, which has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. On the day after his arrest, he led a march through Manhattan, draped in a Palestinian flag — and flanked by security.

    As he poured Deen’s milk into a bottle, Khalil considered whether he might’ve done anything differently had he known the personal cost of his activism.

    “We could’ve communicated better. We could’ve built more bridges with more people,” he said. “But the core thing of opposing a genocide, I don’t think you can do that any differently. This is your moral imperative when you’re watching your people be slaughtered by the minute.”

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

    Share this @internewscast.com
    FacebookXRedditPinterest
    You May Also Like
    Missouri judge sets trial date for accused serial killer
    • Local news

    Missouri Judge Schedules Trial for Alleged Serial Killer

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A trial date has now been set for…
    • Internewscast
    • July 12, 2025
    Looking for a job? An AI recruiter might interview you next
    • Local news

    AI Recruiters: The Future of Job Interviews

    Wafa Shafiq, a 26-year-old Canadian marketing professional and lifestyle influencer, has been…
    • Internewscast
    • July 11, 2025
    Could this Hawaii community be the next Lahaina? Some residents fear a similar wildfire fate
    • Local news

    Is This Hawaiian Town at Risk for a Lahaina-Like Wildfire? Residents Express Worry

    WAIANAE, Hawaii – When it rains sufficiently, the wide stretch of land…
    • Internewscast
    • July 12, 2025
    2 migrants apprehended, 14 others rescued from storm drain in El Paso
    • Local news

    Two Migrants Caught, 14 Rescued from Storm Drain in El Paso

    EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) Two migrants were apprehended, and 14 others were…
    • Internewscast
    • July 11, 2025
    Singer Chris Brown pleads not guilty to 2 further charges over London nightclub assault case
    • Local news

    Chris Brown Denies New Charges in London Nightclub Assault Case

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved Grammy-winning singer Chris Brown…
    • Internewscast
    • July 11, 2025
    State Department is firing over 1,300 employees under Trump administration plan
    • Local news

    Trump Administration Plan Leads to Dismissal of Over 1,300 State Department Employees

    KUALA LUMPUR – Over 1,300 staff members are set to be let…
    • Internewscast
    • July 11, 2025
    Family of teen charged in Polk County 'swatting' case shares their side of the story
    • Local news

    Family of Teen Involved in Polk County Swatting Incident Speaks Out

    POLK COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — On Thursday, News Channel 8 brought you…
    • Internewscast
    • July 12, 2025
    Suspect in custody after allegedly shooting at ATF Special Agent, SLED investigating
    • Local news

    Suspect Arrested for Alleged Shooting at ATF Special Agent, SLED Conducting Investigation

    SALUDA COUNTY, S.C. () – Officials from the Saluda County Sheriff’s Office…
    • Internewscast
    • July 12, 2025
    Tear gas deployed during protest at immigration raid in Ventura County
    • Local news

    Immigration Raid Leads to Arrests: Farmworkers Detained and Tear Gas Used on Protesters

    Editor’s note: affiliate KTLA reached out to the U.S. Department of Homeland…
    • Internewscast
    • July 11, 2025
    Will Orlando get an underground transit system? Here’s what we know
    • Local news

    Is Orlando Planning to Build an Underground Transit System? Here’s the Latest Information

    ORLANDO, Fla. – Speculation is swirling about a new “Loop” coming to…
    • Internewscast
    • July 12, 2025
    Photo of Linnie McCown. (Courtesy Michael McCown)
    • Local news

    Over 100 Fatalities in Central Texas Due to Flash Flooding: Insights on the Victims

    AUSTIN (KXAN) At least 120 people across Central Texas are confirmed dead,…
    • Internewscast
    • July 11, 2025
    2 arrested in Bulloch drug bust, half-pound bag of fentanyl pills found
    • Local news

    Two Arrested in Bulloch County Drug Raid, Half-Pound of Fentanyl Pills Seized

    The Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office in Statesboro, Georgia, wrapped up their week…
    • Internewscast
    • July 12, 2025
    Illustration of the Poseidon underwater drone.
    • US

    Putin’s Main Spokesperson Warns of “Radioactive Tsunami” with Nuclear Torpedoes as Trump Approves Arms for Ukraine

    PUTIN’S chief propagandist has warned Russia could wipe out both coasts of…
    • Internewscast
    • July 12, 2025
    Could this Hawaii community be the next Lahaina? Some residents fear a similar wildfire fate
    • Local news

    Is This Hawaiian Town at Risk for a Lahaina-Like Wildfire? Residents Express Worry

    WAIANAE, Hawaii – When it rains sufficiently, the wide stretch of land…
    • Internewscast
    • July 12, 2025
    Georgia Tech transfer pitcher excited to join Illini
    • Local news

    Transfer Pitcher Thrilled to Join Illinois Team from Georgia Tech

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) – Ryan Johnson is getting ready to move away…
    • Internewscast
    • July 12, 2025
    Suspect in custody after allegedly shooting at ATF Special Agent, SLED investigating
    • Local news

    Suspect Arrested for Alleged Shooting at ATF Special Agent, SLED Conducting Investigation

    SALUDA COUNTY, S.C. () – Officials from the Saluda County Sheriff’s Office…
    • Internewscast
    • July 12, 2025
    Internewscast Journal
    • Home
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA Notice
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Guest Post
    • Support Our Cause
    Copyright 2023. All Right Reserverd.