Mahmoud Khalil, a prominent leader in US pro-Palestinian campus protests, is suing the Trump administration for US$20 million (RM85 million) over his arrest and detention by immigration agents.Khalil, a legal permanent resident married to a US citizen with a US-born son, was held for 104 days after his March arrest before being freed on bail last month.

Supported by the Center for Constitutional Rights, the lawsuit claims the administration's actions were "calculated to terrorize him and his family," causing "severe emotional distress, economic hardship (and) damage to his reputation."Khalil, a Columbia University graduate, was labeled a national security threat by the Trump administration due to his role in protests against Israel's war in Gaza.

Khalil stated the lawsuit is a "first step towards accountability," highlighting the trauma of missing his son's birth while detained.Assistant Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin defended the administration's actions, stating they acted "well within its statutory and constitutional authority to detain Khalil, as it does with any alien who advocates for violence, glorifies and supports terrorists, harasses Jews, and damages property."The Trump administration had justified pushing for his deportation by citing "potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences."Khalil's detention is part of a broader campaign by the Trump administration against universities and foreign student enrollment amidst the pro-Palestinian protests.