Mahmoud Khalil's lawsuit against several former Trump administration officials and pro-Israel organisations has shed light on alleged anti-Palestine conspiracies in the US. A permanent resident since 2015, Khalil, born in Syria to Palestinian parents, is no stranger to controversy. Currently embroiled in a separate battle against deportation efforts, he now accuses the defendants of conspiring to target him and others due to their advocacy for Palestinian rights.
The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday by the Center for Constitutional Rights on Khalil's behalf, alleges collaboration between the Trump administration and two pro-Israel online surveillance groups, Betar and Canary Mission. The list of high-profile defendants includes former White House senior adviser Stephen Miller, former Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The conservative think tank, the Heritage Foundation, is also implicated, alongside Canary Mission and Betar.
According to the complaint, 'Project Esther', a blueprint devised by the Heritage Foundation's leaders for countering the growing movement for Palestinian rights, evolved into a public-private partnership aimed at depriving selected individuals of their fundamental rights. The lawsuit claims that government officials worked hand-in-hand with these groups to send a chilling message: state repression awaits those who advocate for Palestinians.
Khalil attributes his March 2025 arrest by federal immigration authorities and subsequent detention at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Louisiana to his pro-Palestinian advocacy. The lawsuit is brought under the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, originally enacted to combat vigilantism. Khalil's legal team argues that this legislation protects citizens from conspiracies aimed at silencing constitutionally protected political views.
The White House and Department of Homeland Security have responded to the allegations, with a spokesperson for the former stating that Khalil lied on his visa application and would face justice accordingly. A DHS spokesperson maintained that the agency acted within its authority and encouraged Khalil to self-deport before facing further action.