BURLINGTON, VT – A federal judge in Vermont has ordered the immediate release of Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian student activist at Columbia University who was detained by immigration officials earlier this month during his US citizenship interview. The ruling marks a significant victory for Mahdawi and his legal team, who argued that his detention was a retaliatory measure by the Trump administration for his involvement in pro-Palestinian protests on the Ivy League campus.
US District Judge Geoffrey Crawford issued a strong rebuke of the government’s actions, stating that Mahdawi had raised a “substantial claim that the government arrested him to stifle speech with which it disagrees.” In his written order, Judge Crawford emphasized the protection afforded by the First Amendment, asserting that “even if he were a firebrand, his conduct is protected.” The judge added that disagreeing with political opponents or alarming the State Department did not constitute a sufficient reason to justify Mahdawi’s detention.
Mahdawi, a 34-year-old legal permanent resident of ten years, was taken into custody on April 14th while attending what he believed to be a routine interview to finalize his US citizenship. His arrest, captured on video and widely circulated on social media, sparked outrage among civil liberties advocates and raised concerns about the targeting of student activists critical of Israeli policy.
The government had argued for Mahdawi’s continued detention under the Immigration and Nationality Act, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio citing his presence and activities as having “serious adverse foreign policy consequences” and compromising a “compelling US foreign policy interest.” A government attorney further pointed to a 2015 FBI investigation into alleged threatening comments made by Mahdawi, but Judge Crawford noted that the FBI appeared to have determined those accusations were fabricated and the case was closed.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
Upon his release from a Vermont correctional facility on Wednesday, Mahdawi was greeted by jubilant supporters. Speaking outside the courthouse, he declared, “To President Trump and his cabinet: I am not afraid of you.” He emphasized the importance of standing up for humanity and the need for justice to prevail.
Mahdawi’s legal team, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), argued that his detention was a clear violation of his First Amendment rights, asserting that he was targeted solely for his protected speech and activism in support of Palestinian rights. They highlighted Mahdawi’s role in organizing campus protests and co-founding Columbia’s Palestinian Student Union.
Judge Crawford’s ruling allows Mahdawi to travel outside Vermont and attend his upcoming graduation in New York City next month. While his immigration case remains open and he is scheduled for a remote hearing before an immigration judge in Louisiana on Thursday, his release marks a significant check on the administration’s efforts to detain and potentially deport student activists based on their political views.
The case of Mohsen Mahdawi is being closely watched as a bellwether for the broader implications of the Trump administration’s stance on campus activism and the rights of legal permanent residents. The judge’s strong defense of free speech in this context signals a potential challenge to the government’s increasingly assertive immigration enforcement tactics targeting political dissent.