Columbia University activist detained by ICE during US citizenship interview
Columbia protest organizer held by ICE
Another Palestinian activist and Columbia University student has been arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Mohsen Mahdawi, a legal permanent resident and outspoken organizer of pro-Palestinian student protests, was taken into custody during what was supposed to be a naturalization interview in Vermont.
NEW YORK CITY - Mohsen Mahdawi, a legal permanent U.S. resident and outspoken Palestinian activist at Columbia University, was arrested by federal immigration agents this week while attending a naturalization interview in Vermont.
Who is Mohsen Mahdawi?
What we know:
Mohsen Mahdawi, a legal permanent resident who has held a green card since 2015, was detained at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Colchester by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, his lawyers said.
Hours after his unexplained disappearance, his family and attorneys learned that he had been taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
According to legal filings, Mahdawi had not been charged with any crime and remains a legal permanent resident. His attorneys quickly filed a petition in federal court, resulting in an order barring the government from removing him from the state or the country. As of Tuesday, he remains in Vermont.
"The Trump administration detained Mohsen Mahdawi in direct retaliation for his advocacy on behalf of Palestinians and because of his identity as a Palestinian. His detention is an attempt to silence those who speak out against the atrocities in Gaza. It is also unconstitutional," attorney Luna Droubi said in an email.
According to the court filing, Mahdawi was born in a refugee camp in the West Bank and moved to the United States in 2014. He recently completed coursework at Columbia and was expected to graduate in May before beginning a master's degree program there in the fall.
The petition describes him as a committed Buddhist who believes in "non-violence and empathy as a central tenet of his religion."
What they're saying:
At a rally held in Foley Square on Tuesday, protesters called for Mahdawi's immediate release and condemned the federal government's actions.
"We heard Marco Rubio sort of bragging about revoking student visas," said Gabriela Silva, a protester at the rally. "They’ve made it clear that they want to continue to attack our movement, just as we’ve made it clear that we won’t back down. We’re going to continue to defend our fellow activists."
The backstory:
As a student, Mahdawi was an outspoken critic of Israel's military campaign in Gaza and organized campus protests until March 2024. He co-founded the Palestinian Student Union at Columbia with Mahmoud Khalil, another Palestinian permanent resident of the U.S. and graduate student who recently was detained by ICE.
Khalil was the first person arrested under President Donald Trump’s promised crackdown on students who joined campus protests against the war in Gaza. On Friday, an immigration judge in Louisiana ruled that Khalil can be deported as a national security risk.
Christopher Helali, a friend of Mahdawi who lives near him in Vermont, was present outside the immigration office when Mahdawi was detained and recorded a video of Mahdawi being led away by authorities. In the video, which Helali released on social media Monday, Mahdawi is shown giving a peace sign with his hands and being led away to a car.
Helali described Mahdawi as a peaceful demonstrator who has worked to foster dialogue about the struggle of Palestinians in his homeland. Helali said he and Mahdawi were aware that Mahdawi could be detained today and that his friend went forward with the appointment anyway.
"And rightfully so, he was nervous for what was going on around him. But he was very much resolute in coming to this interview and coming today because he didn’t do anything wrong and was a law-abiding citizen, or soon-to-be citizen," Helali said.
Vermont's congressional delegation issued a statement condemning Mahdawi's arrest, saying that instead of taking one of the final steps in his citizenship process, he was handcuffed by armed officers with their faces covered.
"This is immoral, inhumane, and illegal. Mr. Mahdawi, a legal resident of the United States, must be afforded due process under the law and immediately released from detention," said the statement from Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Peter Welch and Rep. Becca Balint.