The Palestinian student from Columbia University who was arrested by ICE after his involvement in leading anti-Israel protests on campus was released on Wednesday. Mohsen Mahdawi, 34, was released from jail after U.S. District Judge Geoffrey Crawford issued an order for his release.
Interestingly, moments after his release, the defiant protester sent a message at President Donald Trump and his administration. According to WPTZ, the judge said that he did not believe Mahdawi posed a danger to the public or a flight risk. Mahdawi, who has been a legal permanent resident for a decade, was arrested on April 14 while attending an interview related to completing his U.S. citizenship process.
Freed and Sends Message to Trump
"I am saying it clear and loud to President Trump and his Cabinet: I am not afraid of you," Mahdawi said moments after coming out of the Vermont courtroom.
The government argued that Mahdawi's detention at the Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans was a "constitutionally valid aspect of the deportation process."
The State Department also argued that Mahdawi, who was born in the West Bank, is subject to removal under the Immigration and Nationality Act. Secretary of State Marco Rubio argued that Mahdawi's presence and actions "would have serious adverse foreign policy consequences and would compromise a compelling U.S. foreign policy interest."
The State Department ultimately alleged that Mahdawi used "threatening rhetoric and intimidation" against Jewish students during the Columbia University protests.
However, Mahdawi's lawyers argue that his arrest was a retaliatory move in response to his leadership role in disruptive anti-Israel demonstrations on Columbia campus.
Crawford also drew parallels between the current wave of migrant detentions and the McCarthy-era "Red Scare" of the 1950s.
Remains a Permanent US Resident
Per the judge's ruling, Mahdawi will retain his permanent residence status in Vermont and will be allowed to go back to New York City to continue his education and graduate from Columbia University.
Mahdawi was the co-president of the now-suspended Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), the group that played a leading role in organizing campus protests against the war in Gaza.
After being released, Mahdawi joined supporters outside the Vermont courthouse, leading chants of "Free Palestine" and urging the public to stand up for free speech rights.
"Never give up on the idea that justice will prevail," he told his supporters. "We want to stand up for humanity, because the rest of the world — not only Palestine — is watching us. And what is going to happen in America is going to affect the rest of the world."
