On Monday, September 15, Palestinian activist and former Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil filed a federal lawsuit demanding a jury trial against the university and Keren Yarhi-Milo, dean of the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) and a former Israeli intelligence officer.

Citing Title VI violations, the suit alleges the school has maintained a history of discrimination against Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim students — culminating in the disbandment of the Palestine Working Group (PWG) in September 2025. Khalil was the president of the group during the 2024 encampments and was succeeded by Mohammed Ibrahim Zubairi.

The suit also alleges the university enabled the doxxing of PWG members, and allowed ICE to arrest Khalil from his campus residence — leading to a 104-day detention later ruled unconstitutional. PWG students are now seeking damages and have launched a hotline to track past and future incidents of anti-Palestinian and Islamophobic racism on campus.

At a press conference on Monday outside the university gates, Drop Site contributor Areeba Fatima spoke with Mahmoud Khalil, PWG members, and his legal counsel.
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