Khalili says that the harassment persuaded him to stop observing immigration agents “for fear that the federal government would come to their home and arrest him in front of his children,” a concern shared by his wife.
A Minnesota man who lost his Global Entry privileges after observing and recording federal immigration agents has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security, claiming that the administration’s allegedly unlawful retaliation infringed upon his First Amendment rights.
The Huffington Post reports that the plaintiff in the case, Michael Khalili, repeatedly encountered Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel while documenting agents’ actions in and around Minneapolis. On March 18, a day after an ICE officer allegedly confronted and screamed at him, Khalili received an email from the Department of Homeland Security saying that his Global Entry status had been revoked.
Notably, Khalili’s Global Entry privileges were quickly reinstated—but only after The Huffington Post asked the Department of Homeland Security for comment on the man’s case.
Khalili, however, said that the termination and subsequent reversal didn’t spell the end of his family’s woes. In August of this year, for instance, Khalili says that he was detained at an immigration checkpoint for the first time in his life; from there, he was sent to a “secondary location” along with his children. Khalili’s passport was taken while he was detained; he was, however, released without further incident.
Attorneys for Khalili also claim that their client submitted a records request to Minnesota over repeated law enforcement queries regarding his license plate, driver’s license, or name and date of birth. Until this year, Khalili had only received two queries from state, local, and federal officers—but, over the course of a four-month period beginning in March 2026, there were at least 55 law enforcement queries for his file.
Khalili says that the harassment persuaded him to stop observing immigration agents “for fear that the federal government would come to their home and arrest him in front of his children,” a concern shared by his wife.
“She was concerned that federal agents could show up at our home and could arrest me in front of our children,” he said. “And so I agreed to stop doing this.”
Khalili is being represented by Common Cause, a nonprofit organization.
“The rights of citizens to criticize and hold our government accountable is the backbone of American democracy—and it is under attack,” said Maryam Jazini Dorheh, the organization’s vice president for litigation. “We want to make sure we’re promoting participation in the political process. And obviously, if government officials are criminalizing peaceful observation, that hinders our mission.”
In a statement to NPR, Immigration and Customs Enforcement said that it respects observers’ First Amendment rights but does not hesitate to take action against those who interfere with the agency’s operations.
“ICE respects the First Amendment rights of individuals to observe and express themselves,” an agency spokesperson said. “However, if such actions interfere with or obstruct our operations, ICE will take necessary steps to address the situation. Obstructing law enforcement is a federal crime and assaulting law enforcement is a federal crime and a felony.”
ICE also described its own officers as “highly trained in de-escalation tactics,” despite significant evidence to the contrary. “Our law enforcement methods follow the U.S. Constitution,” ICE said.
Sources
ICE Observer Who Lost Global Entry Sues DHS Alleging Illegal Retaliation
Lawsuit challenges intimidation of DHS observers across the country
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