Mahmud Halil sues Trump administration for $20 million over detention

Kokcha News Agency reports that Mahmud Halil, a Palestinian activist from Columbia University and a vocal supporter of Palestine, was detained on March 3 while returning home with his wife. Despite being a green card holder with permanent residence and having a U.S.-born spouse, he was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). His detention lasted for 104 days, during which he suffered significant trauma, including separation from his wife and the birth of his first child under coercive circumstances.

In a statement from the New York-based Constitutional Rights Center, Halil detailed the damages he endured due to his “politically motivated arrest and detention.” The lawsuit seeks $20 million in damages and an official apology from the U.S. government. Halil stated, “This is the first step toward accountability. Nothing can bring back the 104 days I lost—trauma, separation from my wife, the forced birth of my first child.” The lawsuit highlights alleged abuses of power and political retaliation against individuals supporting Gaza protests, which the complaint says is the first such case against the Trump administration.

The detention came amid heightened rhetoric after U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, announced intentions to revoke visas and green cards of supporters of Hamas in the U.S., warning of deportations. Following legal intervention, Halil was granted a temporary restraining order preventing his deportation and, in June, was released on bail after the court found the charges insufficient for detention.

This case marks the first lawsuit filed by a victim targeting the Trump administration over detention abuses related to Palestine protests and is seen as a legal challenge to political repression linked to US policies on Gaza.