Columbia Student Mahdawi Released from ICE, Defies Trump

Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian Columbia University student and legal U.S. resident, was released from immigration custody by a federal judge in Vermont after being detained during his citizenship interview. The Trump administration had argued for his detention under a rarely used provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act, claiming his activism could undermine U.S. foreign policy. Mahdawi, who co-founded Columbia’s Palestinian Student Union and was active in pro-Palestinian protests, has asserted that his detention was retaliation for exercising his right to free speech. Upon his release, Mahdawi delivered a defiant message to President Trump, stating, 'I am not afraid of you,' and described the judge's decision as a 'light of hope.' Judge Geoffrey Crawford cited Mahdawi’s lack of criminal charges and strong community support in his decision, allowing Mahdawi to remain in Vermont while attending school remotely and to travel to New York for legal and academic matters. The case draws attention to the intersection of immigration enforcement, campus activism, and First Amendment rights.