Judge orders release of Columbia student Mohsen Mahdawi
A federal judge has ordered the release of Mohsen Mahdawi, a Columbia University student originally from the West Bank, who was detained by immigration authorities during a naturalization interview. Mahdawi, a permanent U.S. resident, had spent over two weeks in custody after his arrest on April 14, which drew national attention amid concerns about the Trump administration’s actions targeting pro-Palestinian activists.The judge, Geoffrey Crawford, emphasized the harm caused by the detention, especially given that Mahdawi had not been charged with a crime. He was released on bail pending the resolution of his case.National security concerns were cited by the government for his initial detention, along with allegations of supporting violence and firearms possession for anti-Semitic purposes. Mahdawi’s case highlights the ongoing scrutiny and enforcement actions against Middle Eastern students affiliated with pro-Palestinian demonstrations in the U.S.
Federal judge orders release of Columbia pro-Palestinian student Mohsen Mahdawi
A federal judge on Wednesday ordered the release of Mohsen Mahdawi, a Columbia University student from the West Bank, after Mahdawi spent more than two weeks in immigration detention following his abrupt arrest during a naturalization interview.
The 34-year-old permanent U.S. resident was detained by armed Department of Homeland Security agents on April 14 while seeking U.S. citizenship in Vermont. Mahdawi has been held since then at the Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans, and his case has drawn national attention over the Trump administration’s targeting of pro-Palestinian student activists.
“The two weeks of detention so far demonstrate great harm to a person who has been charged with no crime,” said U.S. District Judge Geoffrey Crawford, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, according to ABC News. “Mr. Mahdawi, I will order you released.”
Crawford’s order allows Mahdawi to be released on bail, pending the final outcome of his case in federal court.
The government cited national security concerns in seeking to keep him in custody.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio justified the arrest in a DHS notice, stating Mahdawi’s “presence and activities” in the United States would pose “serious adverse foreign policy consequences.”
Prosecutors also alleged Mahdawi had expressed support for antisemitic violence and had “an interest in and facility with firearms for that purpose,” according to sealed government filings seen by NBC.
Originally from the al Fara’a refugee camp in the West Bank, Mahdawi immigrated to the U.S. more than a decade ago and began studying at Columbia in 2021.
“I am saying it clear and loud to President Trump and his Cabinet: I am not afraid of you,” Mahdawi said outside the courtroom after his release, according to NBC News.
The Trump administration has stepped up immigration enforcement actions against Middle Eastern students tied to pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Mahdawi is the second Columbia student in recent weeks to face detention.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DIDN’T HAVE ARREST WARRANT FOR MAHMOUD KHALIL, CITING ‘FLIGHT RISK’
Mahmoud Khalil, a graduate student who led protests against the war in Gaza, was arrested at his New York apartment on March 8. A judge ruled on April 11 that Khalil can be deported, though he remains in custody while appealing the decision.
The Washington Examiner contacted the Justice Department and DHS for comment.
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