• Mohsen Mahdawi, left, and Mahmoud Khalil participated in a pro-Palestine protest at Columbia University, October 12, 2023, New York (AP)

Columbia University’s philosophy department has come out strongly in support of one of its students, Mohsen Mahdawi, who was recently detained by the Trump administration and faces possible deportation. In a statement published Wednesday, the department condemned the move and called on university leadership to step in, according to Anadolu Agency.

“We express our horror and dismay at the fact that a legal resident of the United States — someone who has been accused of no crime — should be detained in this manner,” it said in a statement posted prominently on its website.

“We call upon the Provost and Acting President of Columbia University to assist by all means, including through the provision of material and legal resources, any Columbia student targeted or detained—and seemingly only for having exercised their right to the free and peaceful expression of political opinion,” it further read. 

March 9, 2025 Further Statement on ICE Reports: https://t.co/tTWK7tvQp6 pic.twitter.com/713nQ8IBtS

— Columbia University (@Columbia) March 9, 2025

Mahdawi, a Palestinian philosophy student and legal permanent resident who has lived in the US for ten years, was detained Monday while attending a scheduled appointment related to his citizenship application in Vermont.

Student activism under fire 

His detention comes amid a wave of actions by the Trump administration targeting student activists—particularly those speaking out against "Israel’s" assault on Gaza. Authorities have accused some of the detained students, including Mahdawi, of promoting "antisemitism" and posing threats to national security, though none have been charged with any crimes.

Mahdawi rose to prominence as a student leader during the 2023–2024 protests at Columbia, which drew national attention. In a December 2023 interview on 60 Minutes, he said, “To be anti-Semitic is unjust. And the fight for the freedom of Palestine, and the fight against antisemitism go hand-in-hand. Because injustice is a threat to justice everywhere.”

“The fight for freedom of Palestine and the fight against antisemitism go hand-in-hand because injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” says Mohsen Mahdawi, co-president of Columbia's Palestinian Students Union. https://t.co/xh91MwzdHe pic.twitter.com/CsBehwMWEc

— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) December 6, 2023

Born in a refugee camp in the West Bank, Mahdawi has been a lawful permanent resident in the US for 10 years, according to his attorneys. The petition describes him as a committed Buddhist who believes in “non-violence and empathy as a central tenet of his religion.”

According to a State Department memo obtained by The New York Times, the administration argues that Mahdawi’s activism could jeopardize US foreign policy goals in the Middle East and potentially undermine efforts to end the war in Gaza. The memo also suggests that protests led by Mahdawi may contribute to the spread of antisemitism globally.

Senator Marco Rubio echoed that sentiment in his support for Mahdawi’s removal, claiming the student “engaged in threatening rhetoric and intimidation of pro-Israeli bystanders.”

Mahdawi’s case follows an Axios report that reveals nearly 400 students had their visas revoked amid concerns over First Amendment rights, with some linked to pro-Palestinian protests.