First Amendment rights stories

Jul 14, 2026

Mahmoud Khalil sues Trump administration under KKK Act over deportation threats

Columbia University protest leader Mahmoud Khalil filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against senior Trump officials under the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, alleging conspiracy to persecute him over pro-Palestine activism.

Jul 14, 2026·4 sources

Jun 2, 2026

Pentagon Declares Press Office a Classified Space, Barring Journalists

The Defense Department has designated its press office as a classified space, effectively blocking journalists from entering the area in an unprecedented restriction on press access.

Jun 2, 2026·1 source

Top claims

▪Project Esther, an addendum to Project 2025, provided a blueprint for linking student protesters to a supposed "Hamas Support Network."
▪The Heritage Foundation's "Project Esther" outlined plans to target pro-Palestine noncitizens for deportation.
▪The Zionist group Betar began sending lists of pro-Palestinian foreign nationals to the Trump administration for deportation in January 2025.