Mahmoud Khalil and fellow pro-Palestinian former students sued Columbia University in federal court, accusing it of deliberate indifference to harassment before and after the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks. Khalil, 31, says administrators ignored his pleas for protection before his March 8, 2025 ICE arrest, leading to 104 days in detention. The lawsuit targets Columbia and SIPA dean Keren Yarhi-Milo, alleging the SIPA Palestine Working Group faced torn fliers, Islamophobic rhetoric, and intimidation by security.

After Oct. 7, Accuracy in Media exposed members' photos, labeling them "Columbia's Leading Antisemites." Khalil, who still faces deportation, also sued Trump officials, pro-Israel groups, and a conservative think tank for constitutional rights violations. Columbia declined to comment on the suit but said it is committed to a safe campus.