Judge blocks deportation of Columbia protest organizer Mahdawi
3 Min Read
A federal judge has blocked the deportation of Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian green card holder and Columbia University protest organizer, after his sudden arrest by immigration officials.
-
A pro-Palestine encampment is seen at Columbia University, April 26, 2024, in New York (AP/Yuki Iwamura)
A federal judge on Monday blocked the deportation of a detained Columbia University protest organizer, Mohsen Mahdawi, a green card holder from Palestine, court records show.
Mahdawi was arrested Monday by the Department of Homeland Security agents at a Vermont immigration office where he expected to be interviewed about finalizing his US citizenship, his attorneys said. His attorneys filed a petition the same day, demanding his immediate release, insisting that his detention violates First Amendment, statutory and due process rights
Mahdawi’s attorneys argued that the Trump administration is pursuing his removal under the same legal provision used to detain Columbia University alumnus Mahmoud Khalil.
Hours after his arrest, Mahdawi's attorneys filed for a temporary restraining order to halt his transfer. US District Judge William Sessions granted the request, blocking both his removal from Vermont and his deportation, according to the court order.
Vermont’s congressional delegation condemned the arrest in a joint statement, criticizing the federal agents who detained Mahdawi—reportedly armed and masked.
“This is immoral, inhumane, and illegal,” wrote Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Peter Welch, and Rep. Becca Balint. “As a legal U.S. resident, Mr. Mahdawi is entitled to due process and must be released immediately.”
Who is Mohsen Mahdawi?
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.”
"Mahdawi was an outspoken critic of Israel's military campaign in Gaza and an activist and organizer in student protests on Columbia's campus until March of 2024, after which he took a step back and has not been involved in organizing," the petition states.
Donning the Koufiyyeh, in a December 6, 2023, 60 Minutes segment, where, as co-president of Columbia’s Palestinian Students Union, Mahdawi states, “The fight for freedom of Palestine and the fight against antisemitism go hand-in-hand, because injustice anywhere 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
Mahdawi co-founded the Palestinian Student Union at Columbia with Mahmoud Khalil, another Palestinian permanent resident of the US and graduate student who was recently detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Mahdawi is expected to graduate from Columbia University in May, having been admitted to a Master's program at Columbia, according to the court filing
