An immigration judge has blocked the Trump administration from deporting Mohsen Mahdawi, a Columbia University graduate student detained last April for his vocal support of Palestinian rights, as reported by Democracy Now! Mahdawi, a green card holder who grew up in a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, served as co-president of the Palestinian Students Union and president of the Buddhist Association at Columbia.
The detention occurred when Mahdawi appeared for what he believed was a naturalization interview in Vermont. He spent two weeks in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody before Federal Judge Geoffrey Crawford ordered his release. Judge Crawford, in his ruling, drew parallels to historical periods of political repression in the United States, specifically referencing the Red Scare and Palmer Raids of 1919-1920 and the McCarthy era of the 1950s.
Mahdawi’s case is part of a broader pattern of international students being targeted by the Trump administration for expressing solidarity with Palestinians and opposing the war in Gaza. Judge Nina Froes’ decision hinged on the unauthenticated status of a memo authored by Senator Marco Rubio, which had been used to justify the deportation proceedings. Mahdawi expressed hope that this finding would extend to other students facing similar challenges.
Speaking on Democracy Now!, Mahdawi emphasized the significance of his initial release on bail, secured by Judge Crawford, and the subsequent opportunity to have his case heard in Massachusetts rather than Louisiana. “That gives you hope that We find judges who still hold integrity and refuse to sell their souls to Trump’s administration,” he stated.
Mahdawi clarified the distinction between immigration judges and federal judges, explaining that the U.S. System of checks and balances, envisioned by founding fathers like Alexander Hamilton, aims to separate the executive and judicial branches. Despite being part of the executive branch, immigration judges are still bound by the rule of law, and the administration’s actions were found to be in violation of those rules.
Mahdawi recounted confronting President Trump directly after his release from ICE custody, declaring, “I am not afraid of you.” He explained that fear would diminish his vision and imagination, and that his activism stems from a refusal to be intimidated.
Raised in a refugee camp, Mahdawi connected his upbringing and faith to his activism, highlighting the Palestinian movement’s goal of divestment, boycott, and sanctions as a nonviolent path toward peace and justice. He asserted that the Trump administration seeks to suppress voices advocating for Palestinian rights, but that such efforts only strengthen the resolve of organizers like himself. “The harder they come on me, the more energy and power I will have,” he said.
Mahdawi and other students were, he stated, targeted not simply for protesting, but for advocating for divestment. The outcome of similar cases remains uncertain, and the administration has not publicly responded to Judge Froes’ ruling.
