Vermont [US], April 15 : Immigration officials on Monday detained Mohsen Mahdawi, an organizer of pro-Palestinian protests last year at Columbia University, after he arrived at the Vermont immigration office, hoping to begin the final step to becoming a US citizen, CNN reported.
Instead of having an interview, Mohsen Mahdawi, who has been in the United States for 10 years, was taken away in handcuffs. Speaking to CNN, Mahdawi's lawyer said that immigration officials detained Mahdawi at a US Citizenship and Immigration Services facility in Colchester, Vermont, where he lives.
His detention seems to be part of an effort by the Trump administration to crack down on pro-Palestinian protesters. Since then, a temporary restraining order issued by a Vermont District judge has prevented his removal from either Vermont or the US.
In a written statement given to CNN, Mahdawi's attorney, Luna Droubi, said, "The Trump administration detained Mohsen Mahdawi in direct retaliation for his advocacy on behalf of Palestinians and because of his identity as a Palestinian." She called his detention an attempt to silence those who speak against atrocities in Gaza.
She said, "His detention is an attempt to silence those who speak out against the atrocities in Gaza. It is also unconstitutional."
Mahdawi stepped back from his pro-Palestinian activities in March 2024 before students began establishing an encampment and occupied university buildings, attracting national scrutiny and a large police presence on campus.
According to his attorneys, Mahdawi plans to take admission in the master's program at the school this fall. According to his lawyer, he started his citizenship process in 2024.
According to a habeas corpus petition filed on his behalf, Mahdawi grew up in a refugee camp in the West Bank and has been a lawful permanent resident for the past 10 years. His family continues to reside in the West Bank, CNN reported.
Mahdawi's attorneys filed the motion in Vermont's federal district court, demanding his release on bail pending adjudication. Vermont District Court Judge William Sessions has issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting his removal from Vermont and the US.
Mohsen Mahdawi is the second Palestinian student at Columbia who holds a green card and has been detained by immigration authorities for removal from the US. Mahmoud Khalil, one of the lead negotiators of the pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia, was arrested in March.
According to a statement from his lawyers and attorneys, Mahdawi remains in Vermont. "One of his lawyers was able to speak to him. If they now choose to move him from Vermont, it will have been with full knowledge of the court's order telling them not to," Droubi told CNN.
Other students detained in similar situations have been taken to detention facilities in Texas and Louisiana before a judge could order that they remain in the place where they were originally detained. Such transfers demonstrate ICE's power in deciding where to house detained migrants.
Vermont's congressional delegation, Senators Bernie Sanders and Peter Welch and Representative Becca Balint, issued a joint statement against his detention, terming it "immoral, inhumane and illegal."
They wrote, "Earlier today, Mohsen Mahdawi of White River Junction, Vermont, walked into an immigration office for what was supposed to be the final step in his citizenship process."
The lawmakers further stated, "Instead, he was arrested and removed in handcuffs by plainclothes, armed, individuals 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."
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