Judge orders immediate release of Columbia activist Mohsen Mahdawi from Vermont ICE detention
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The ruling freed 26-year-old Columbia University graduate student Mohsen Mahdawi after more than two weeks in immigration custody. He emerged from the Burlington, Vermont, federal courthouse to supporters chanting "No fear!" and raised peace signs while declaring, "We are pro-peace and anti-war," according to BBC News.
The decision followed a petition from Mahdawi's lawyers, who argued he was being punished for political speech. Crawford cited First Amendment concerns and "the public interest in his freedom,". "A light of hope, hope and faith in the justice system in America," Mahdawi said of the ruling.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers had detained Mahdawi on April 14, 2025, during what he believed would be the final step of his naturalization interview. He was held at the Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans. Born and raised in a refugee camp in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, he arrived in the United States on a student visa and co-founded Columbia's Palestinian Student Union. Video recorded by a friend showed plain-clothes Department of Homeland Security agents escorting him while he flashed a V-for-victory sign.
Government attorneys sought his removal under the Immigration and Nationality Act, arguing that his campus activism "could have serious consequences for U.S. foreign policy," BBC News reported. Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed his actions might undermine the Middle East peace process, noted USA Today. "It is a privilege to be granted a visa or green card to live and study in the United States of America. When you advocate for violence, glorify and support terrorists that relish the killing of Americans, and harass Jews, that privilege should be revoked, and you should not be in this country," said Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.
"The claims against Mohsen Mahdawi are baseless and a disgrace to the U.S. Constitution," said attorney Luna Droubi. She called the arrest "direct retaliation for his advocacy on behalf of Palestinians" and confirmed a civil lawsuit alleging violations of his free-speech rights.
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