Palestinian student deportation in the US took center stage this week as Columbia University student Mohsen Mahdawi was released from federal immigration custody. A US judge ruled Wednesday that Mahdawi could not be deported while he challenges the Trump administration’s attempt to remove him over his pro-Palestinian activism.

Mahdawi, a resident of Vermont for a decade and a Columbia senior, was arrested earlier this month while attending an interview for his US citizenship petition. Born and raised in a refugee camp in the West Bank, Mahdawi was detained without criminal charges and held for two weeks before a federal judge ordered his release.

US District Judge Geoffrey Crawford ruled that Mahdawi did not pose a flight risk or threat to public safety. The judge further defended Mahdawi’s right to political expression, drawing parallels to historical crackdowns on dissent during the Red Scare and McCarthy era.

“Even if he were a firebrand, his conduct is protected by the First Amendment,” Crawford wrote. He emphasized that noncitizen residents enjoy the same free speech protections as US citizens.

Outside the courthouse, Mahdawi was greeted by supporters waving Palestinian flags and chanting "no fear" and "yes love." “I am saying it clear and loud to President Trump and his cabinet, I am not afraid of you,” he declared.

“This is a light of hope, hope and faith in the justice system in America,” Mahdawi said, hailing the judge’s decision as a stand for constitutional rights.

Legal ruling defends free speech amid political crackdown

His release is seen as a legal setback for the Trump administration's deportation effort, which has targeted foreign university students for participation in pro-Palestinian protests. Mahdawi has not been accused of any crime.

Supporters, including Vermont’s congressional delegation, Senator Bernie Sanders, Senator Peter Welch, and Representative Becca Balint, issued a statement calling the administration’s actions “shameful and immoral.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, Tricia McLaughlin, defended the move to revoke Mahdawi’s green card, accusing him of supporting terrorism. “When you advocate for violence, glorify and support terrorists... that privilege should be revoked,” McLaughlin said, adding that no judge would prevent DHS from acting.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio further claimed Mahdawi’s activism could “undermine the Middle East peace process.”

Mahdawi’s case is not isolated. Other students, including Columbia University’s Mahmoud Khalil and Tufts University’s Rumeysa Ozturk, remain in custody. Neither has been charged with a crime, and both are reportedly being detained due to their public criticism of "Israel" and support for Palestine.

“Every individual in this country, citizen and non-citizen alike, deserves the due process rights afforded them by law,” a Columbia University spokesperson said following Mahdawi’s release.

As Mahdawi prepares to graduate in May, his legal battle underscores broader questions about academic freedom, dissent, and the limits of expression for noncitizens in the United States.