Photo credit: www.bbc.com
An organizer of pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University, Mohsen Mahdawi, has been apprehended by immigration authorities during a citizenship interview, according to his lawyer. Mahdawi, who is expected to graduate from the New York institution next month and holds a green card, was detained on Monday in Colchester, Vermont.
His legal representative alleged that Mahdawi’s detention was a direct response to his involvement in campus demonstrations linked to the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict. Other participants in similar protests, including Mahmoud Khalil from Columbia University and Rumeysa Ozturk from Tufts University, have also faced detention.
The BBC has reached out to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to gather further information regarding Mahdawi’s situation. A video circulating on social media appears to depict him being taken away by two officers in police jackets.
Attorney Luna Droubi stated, “The actions taken against Mohsen Mahdawi are clearly retaliatory, aimed at silencing voices that advocate for Palestinians and stemming from his identity as a Palestinian.” She argued that his detention serves as an unconstitutional attempt to suppress dissent regarding the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Droubi has formally requested a federal court to issue a temporary restraining order to prevent immigration officials from transferring Mahdawi out of Vermont or deporting him from the United States. Judge William Sessions, appointed by former President Obama, quickly granted this order.
Court documents reveal that Mahdawi was born in a refugee camp in the West Bank, relocating to the U.S. in 2014. The filing portrays him as a dedicated Buddhist who adheres to principles of non-violence and empathy central to his faith. As of now, the specific location of Mahdawi, a U.S. permanent resident since 2015, remains unclear, according to Droubi.
Mahdawi is noted for co-founding Columbia’s Palestinian Student Society and has publicly criticized Israel’s military actions in Gaza. In a December interview with CBS’ 60 Minutes, he accused Israel of genocide, a claim that Israel has denied. His recent apprehension occurs amid a broader immigration enforcement initiative initiated by the Trump administration.
In a recent statement, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio mentioned that at least 300 student visas had been revoked as part of efforts to combat antisemitism on college campuses. Critics contend that officials are unjustly labeling students as anti-Jewish and infringing upon their rights to free speech.
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders expressed on social media that Mahdawi “was illegally detained by ICE during what was supposed to be the final step in his citizenship process,” asserting the need for him to receive due process and be released immediately.
In a related case, Judge Sessions also held a hearing on Monday concerning Rumeysa Ozturk, a student at Tufts University who was arrested by immigration authorities the previous month. He raised concerns over the potential for a “constitutional crisis” if the administration did not comply with any court orders for Ozturk’s release from detention in Louisiana.
Additionally, attorneys for Mahmoud Khalil are contesting a ruling by an immigration judge that allows the government to deport him, citing national security risks. Khalil was detained last month outside his campus residence before being transferred to a detention center in Louisiana.
Source
www.bbc.com