The lawsuit accuses the Trump administration of working “hand-in-hand” with groups like the Heritage Foundation to “deprive the selected individuals of their fundamental rights and to broadcast the chilling message that Palestinians and their supporters would be subject to state repression solely because of their identities and constitutionally-protected political viewpoints.”
Pro-Palestine activist Mahmoud Khalil has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration and several private organizations, accusing them of conspiring to suppress constitutionally-protected criticism of Israel by detaining and deporting student activists.
According to The Associated Press, the lawsuit names defendants including White House advisor Stephen Miller, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and the Heritage Foundation.
Attorneys for Khalil say that Heritage Foundation and two of its leaders created the foundation for “Project Esther,” which allegedly “served as the blueprint” for what became a “public-private partnership” of suppressing criticism of Israel and the Israeli government.
The lawsuit accuses the Trump administration of working “hand-in-hand” with groups like the Heritage Foundation to “deprive the selected individuals of their fundamental rights and to broadcast the chilling message that Palestinians and their supporters would be subject to state repression solely because of their identities and constitutionally-protected political viewpoints.”
Project Esther, attorneys say, “was a document that described the plan to identify and target pro-Palestinian, non-citizen students and scholars, who would then be arrested and deported by the federal defendant participants in the conspiracy.”
The lawsuit cites alleged violations of the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, a piece of Reconstruction-era legislation originally designed to combat the Klan’s socio-political violence. For Khalil to prove a conspiracy between the government, the Heritage Foundation, and other defendants, he will likely have to “provide some factual basis supporting a meeting of the minds, express or tactic, to achieve the unlawful end.”
A White House spokesperson has since responded to the lawsuit by accusing Khalil of misrepresenting critical facts on his U.S. visa application.
“As we have always maintained, the Executive Branch has the lawful authority to take actions that will protect the public and to ensure the integrity of our immigration system,” White House spokesperson Abigal Jackson said.
“Khalil obtained his visa by willfully and intentionally failing to accurately report information relevant to his background,” the White House said. “Those who lie to the government to obtain entry into the United States will obtain justice.” A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson similarly said that the agency “acted well within its statutory and constitutional authority with respect to Khalil.”
“We would encourage [Khalil] to use the CBP Home app and self-deport now before he is arrested, deported, and never given a chance to return,” the Department of Homeland Security said.
Sources
Mahmoud Khalil Accuses Trump Officials of Conspiring Against Him
Mahmoud Khalil files suit alleging a ‘public-private’ conspiracy to target Israel’s critics
Mahmoud Khalil sues Trump officials and pro-Israel groups over ‘conspiracy’ to target him
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