Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian green card holder and Columbia University student, was apprehended Monday by American immigration authorities in Vermont while attending what was supposed to be a routine citizenship interview.
Mahdawi, who emerged as a prominent figure during pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia approximately a year ago, was taken into custody under circumstances his legal team describes as politically motivated. "We have not received confirmation as to his whereabouts despite numerous attempts to locate him," his attorney, Luna Droubi, told The Guardian. "We have filed a habeas petition in the District of Vermont and have sought a temporary restraining order restraining the government from removing him from the jurisdiction or from the country."
Droubi further alleged, "the Trump administration detained Mohsen Mahdawi in direct retaliation for his advocacy on behalf of Palestinians and because of his identity as a Palestinian", adding that "his detention is an attempt to silence those who speak out against the atrocities in Gaza. It is also unconstitutional."
In their court filing, Mahdawi's legal representatives argued that his detention violates his First Amendment rights, statutory protections, and due process guarantees under American law.
Court documents submitted by Mahdawi's attorneys emphasize that he has maintained lawful permanent resident status in the US for a decade and was actively pursuing citizenship at the time of his arrest. The legal team contends that this case "concerns the government's retaliatory and targeted detention and attempted removal of Mr Mahdawi for his constitutionally protected speech".
According to his lawyers, Mahdawi appears to face deportation under a rarely invoked administrative provision that the Trump administration has recently applied in similar cases, including efforts to deport Mahmoud Khalil, another Columbia University student who participated in leadership roles during protests against Israel.
This specific provision grants the Secretary of State authority to remove individuals from the US if their presence is determined to carry "serious foreign policy consequences for the US" – a broadly defined standard that civil liberties advocates have criticized as potentially enabling political targeting of foreign nationals.
