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, New York, 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 in the filing. 

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

“I cannot describe the pain of that night,” said Khalil. “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 claimed that his lawsuit was predicated on his wanting to prove a point to the federal government, particularly the Trump administration. He claimed the administration abused its authority. Moreover, he said he wanted to show the administration could be held accountable for its actions, the 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.”

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Despite the significant amount specified in the lawsuit, Khalil said he would abandon his quest for restitution if he received an official apology from the Trump administration, and they decided to implement changes to their illegal immigration enforcement policies, according to the 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.”