A judge in Burlington, Vermont, released Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian student at Columbia University, on Wednesday after he was arrested by immigration officials during a citizenship finalization interview. Mahdawi had been leading protests against Israel's military actions in Gaza, which have resulted in over 52,000 Palestinian deaths since the conflict began.
Since the start of the Trump administration, immigration authorities have arrested and detained numerous college students across the U.S., particularly those involved in protests concerning the Israel-Hamas war. Mahdawi's case stands out as one of the first successful challenges against such arrests. Upon his release, he was met by hundreds of supporters who chanted slogans like "No fear" and "Free Palestine," emphasizing the need for collective action in support of democracy and humanity.
In his comments after release, Mahdawi, 34, expressed a firm belief in justice and humanity. He emphasized that the implications of actions in the U.S. extend beyond its borders, affecting people globally. Having been a legal permanent resident for the past ten years, Mahdawi had been detained since April 14 in a Vermont state prison. U.S. District Judge Geoffrey Crawford noted that Mahdawi raised a "substantial claim" indicating that his arrest was intended to suppress dissenting speech. The judge affirmed that regardless of Mahdawi's political stance, his conduct falls under First Amendment protections.
The U.S. government's position asserts that they can remove Mahdawi based on the Immigration and Nationality Act, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed his activities could jeopardize U.S. foreign policy. A government attorney labeled Mahdawi a national security risk, citing an FBI investigation from 2015 regarding alleged threatening remarks he made about Jews. However, the judge pointed out that the FBI appeared to have found these allegations unsubstantiated.
Following his release, Mahdawi is scheduled to appear remotely before an immigration judge in Louisiana. His legal team has not received a response from the U.S. attorney's office regarding a potential appeal against his release. Mahdawi was born in a refugee camp in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and relocated to the U.S. in 2014. He played a significant role in organizing protests at Columbia and co-founded its Palestinian Student Union.
Another prominent case involves Rümeisa Öztürk, a Tufts University student from Turkey, who faced detention seemingly in retaliation for writing an op-ed in the student newspaper. This broader crackdown has led to over 1,000 students having their visas revoked or their legal status terminated since late March. In response to numerous legal challenges, federal authorities announced plans to reverse the status termination for international students.
The judge, in his ruling, drew parallels between current arrests and historical events such as the anti-communist raids of the 1920s and the deportations during the McCarthy era of the 1950s. He noted, “Security is like liberty in that many are the crimes committed in its name.” Mahdawi's release now allows him to attend graduation ceremonies in New York next month, having recently completed his coursework at Columbia and preparing to begin a master’s program there in the fall.
Columbia University has faced criticism from some of its students regarding its compliance with policies tied to the Trump administration. After Mahdawi's release, a university spokesperson reaffirmed that every person is entitled to due process, regardless of their immigration status. Outside the courthouse, Mahdawi expressed a defiant message directly to President Donald Trump and his administration, stating, “I am not afraid of you,” emphasizing the transformative power of love over fear.
