Lawyers for pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for being arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside his apartment in New York City and subsequently detained at a detention center in Louisiana. 

Khalil’s lawsuit is for $20 million in damages, claiming he was falsely imprisoned, maliciously prosecuted, and had his reputation tarnished due to unsubstantiated claims against him of antisemitism, among other things, the Washington Post reported. His lawsuit named the State Department, ICE, and the Department of Homeland Security. 

Khalil expressed anger over being arrested in March, citing an excessive amount of emotional pain over the events that transpired. Khalil claimed he was “effectively kidnapped” and accused President Donald Trump and other government officials of terrorizing “him and his family,” according to the Washington Post.

“I cannot describe the pain of that night,” Khalil said. “This is something I will never forgive.”

He was held in LaSalle Detention Center in Jena, Louisiana, for 104 days. In June, a federal judge ordered Khalil to be released from the detention facility.

In addition to the financial restitution, Khalil said his lawsuit was predicated on his wanting to prove a point to the federal government, particularly the Trump administration. He said the administration abused its authority. Moreover, he said he wanted to show the administration could be held accountable for its actions, the Washington Post reported.

“They are abusing their power because they think they are untouchable,” Khalil said. “Unless they feel there is some sort of accountability, it will continue to go unchecked.”

THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY’S EXTREME RHETORIC IS COMING HOME TO ROOST

Despite the significant amount specified in the lawsuit, Khalil said he would abandon his quest for restitution if he received an apology from the Trump administration and it decided to implement changes to its illegal immigration enforcement policies, according to the Washington Post. If no apology was offered, and he won his case, Khalil said he would split any settlement funds he received with other people who were “targeted” by the Trump administration for pro-Palestinian beliefs. 

“My beliefs are not wanting my tax money or tuition going toward investments in weapons manufacturers for a genocide,” said Khalil. “It’s as simple as that.”