New york: Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, who was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in March and held for more than 100 days despite being a lawful permanent resident, is suing the Trump administration for refusing to release records of its communications with shadowy pro-Israel organizations and individuals, the news outlet Zeteo reported Thursday.

According to Anadolu Agency, Khalil stated that for months, shady organizations and individuals carried out a smear and harassment campaign designed to intimidate and silence him. He emphasized that the public deserves full accountability for every individual who contributed to this situation, including those affiliated with Columbia University who fabricated and amplified these smears, thus facilitating state retaliation against Palestinian speech.

Khalil, a graduate of Columbia University and a lawful permanent resident married to a US citizen, was detained in March without a warrant by immigration officers in New York City. He was then transferred to a detention facility in Louisiana, where he was held for an extended period.

He was the first of several foreign students targeted by the Trump administration for criticizing Israel and expressing support for Palestine. In July, court proceedings revealed that ICE relied on information from Canary Mission and Betar-two pro-Israel and anti-Palestinian, anti-speech doxxing groups-to generate leads on students, including Khalil.