Columbia University sued for allegedly failing to protect pro-Palestinian students

Student activist Mahmoud Khalil and other pro-Palestinian advocates have filed a lawsuit against Columbia University, accusing the institution of deliberately ignoring ongoing harassment they faced for years due to their advocacy for the Palestinian cause.

According to Reuters, Khalil became a symbol of the crackdown on pro-Palestinian student protests under former U.S. President Donald Trump's administration after U.S. immigration officials arrested him in March 2025 in his campus residence, despite his status as a legal permanent resident—holding a green card—and not being charged with any crime.

The lawsuit, filed by Khalil and the group Action for Palestine in federal court in Manhattan, alleges that Columbia University violated federal civil rights law by failing to protect students from threats, doxxing, and other forms of harassment based on their perceived Arab or Muslim background or their support for Palestinian rights.

The war in Gaza continues to spark heated debate on university campuses, including at Columbia, where the main pedestrian thoroughfare has been closed for nearly three years as the university seeks to balance safety concerns with a desire for normalcy and openness.

According to Reuters, Khalil said at a Columbia University press conference announcing the lawsuit that the university demonstrated "anti-Palestinian bias" rooted in every department and supported by its board of trustees. He added that the lawsuit was filed because no student, regardless of background, should endure the "hell" they experienced at Columbia over the years.

Columbia University declined to comment on the lawsuit. A university spokesperson said, "Creating a campus environment where every member of our community feels welcome, supported, and safe is central to our identity as a university. It is also a responsibility we take seriously."

The lawsuit claims that instead of investigating reported harassment, Columbia treated pro-Palestinian protests as "security risks" and changed its policies so that any on-campus criticism of Israeli military or government actions could result in disciplinary action.

Khalil still faces possible deportation, after a federal appeals court in Philadelphia ruled that a district judge did not have jurisdiction when ordering his release from detention last year.