U.S. judge orders release of Mohsen Mahdawi, Palestinian arrested at citizenship interview

The Associated Press

· Posted: Apr 30, 2025 12:20 PM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

A justice connected Wednesday released a Palestinian antheral who led protests against the warfare successful Gaza arsenic a pupil astatine Columbia University and was arrested by migration officials during an interrogation astir finalizing his U.S. citizenship.

Mohsen Mahdawi led supporters successful chants that included "No fear" and "Free Palestine," extracurricular the tribunal successful Burlington, Vt. He said radical indispensable travel unneurotic successful defence of some ideology and humanity.

"Never springiness up connected the thought that justness volition prevail," helium said. "We privation to basal up for humanity, due to the fact that the remainder of the satellite — not lone Palestine — is watching us. And what is going to hap successful America is going to impact the remainder of the world."

Mahdawi's announcement to look successful migration tribunal said he is removable nether the Immigration and Nationality Act due to the fact that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio determined his beingness and activities "would person superior adverse overseas argumentation consequences and would compromise a compelling U.S. overseas argumentation interest."

His lawyers said Mahdawi — a ineligible imperishable nonmigratory for 10 years — was detained successful retaliation for his code advocating for Palestinian quality rights.

U.S. District Judge Geoffrey Crawford issued his ruling connected Wednesday pursuing a proceeding connected Mahdawi, who was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents connected April 14.

The authorities has argued his detention is simply a "constitutionally valid facet of the deportation process" and that territory courts are barred from proceeding challenges to however and erstwhile specified proceedings are begun.

LISTEN l Columbia pupil says authorities actions are having a chilling effect:

'He followed each of the rules'

A radical of U.S. Congress members held a rally successful Washington, D.C., connected Tuesday night, pressing for Mahdawi's release.

"He followed each of the rules," said Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an autarkic who caucuses with Democrats. "He followed the law. But alternatively of completing the process, Mohsen was illegally detained. Armed, masked individuals successful plain apparel arrested him, forced him into a car and refused to supply immoderate accusation arsenic to wherever they were taking him oregon why."

According to a tribunal filing, Mahdawi was calved successful a exile campy successful the Israeli-occupied West Bank and moved to the United States successful 2014. He precocious completed coursework astatine Columbia University successful New York and was expected to postgraduate successful May earlier opening a master's grade programme determination successful the fall.

As a student, Mahdawi was an outspoken professional of Israel's subject run successful Gaza and organized field protests until March 2024.

WATCH l Khalil moving retired of ineligible options, but lawyer vows to fight:

He helped recovered the Palestinian Student Union astatine Columbia on with Mahmoud Khalil, different Palestinian imperishable nonmigratory and U.S. postgraduate pupil who was detained by migration authorities and sent to a installation successful Louisiana.

Mahdawi had been held successful state, astatine the Northwest State Correctional Facility successful St. Albans, Vt., successful opposition to Khalil and Rumeysa Ozturk, a doctoral pupil from Boston-area Tufts University, who were each sent to national detention facilities respective states distant from wherever they resided.

Legal objections to deportations are among the immoderate 200 lawsuits the Trump medication has already spawned done 100 days of the presidency, with lawyers for the plaintiffs arguing their First Amendment rights of escaped code and assembly were violated.

"This is the archetypal bid mandating the merchandise of a pupil arrested by Trump successful retaliation for their speech," the American Civil Liberties Union, advocating for Mahdawi, said successful a societal media station not agelong aft his release.