(Reuters) — Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian student involved in pro-Palestinian activism at Columbia University, was detained by federal agents on Monday when he arrived for a citizenship interview in Vermont, according to court filings from his attorneys.
Mahdawi’s detention comes as the Trump administration intensifies its efforts to deport another Columbia activist, Mahmoud Khalil, raising alarm among civil rights advocates about what they say is a crackdown on political dissent.
According to a petition filed by Mahdawi’s legal team, his arrest violates the First Amendment and was politically motivated. His lawyers believe the administration is using an obscure provision of immigration law that permits deportation if the Secretary of State deems an individual poses “adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.” The same legal justification was cited in the case against Khalil.
“The Trump administration detained Mohsen Mahdawi in direct retaliation for his advocacy on behalf of Palestinians and because of his identity as a Palestinian,” said attorney Luna Droubi in a statement. “His detention is an attempt to silence those who speak out against the atrocities in Gaza. It is also unconstitutional.”
CBS News has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for comment, but no response has been received.
Student Activism Under Scrutiny
Mahdawi, a lawful U.S. permanent resident for the past decade, was born in a West Bank refugee camp, according to his attorneys. He completed a philosophy program at Columbia in late 2024 and was expected to graduate this May. He had plans to pursue a master’s degree at the university this fall.
In 2023, Mahdawi co-founded Columbia’s Palestinian Student Union alongside Khalil. Both students were involved in organizing campus protests following Israel’s war in Gaza, which erupted after Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
In a 2023 interview with CBS News’ “60 Minutes”, Mahdawi recalled confronting an unidentified person who made an antisemitic remark during a campus rally.
“I was shocked,” he told journalist Bill Whitaker, “and I told the person, ‘you don’t represent us.’”
Despite his denouncement of antisemitism, Mahdawi was publicly targeted by Betar USA, a pro-Israel advocacy group. In January, the group tweeted a video of him and placed him on what they called a “deport list.”
Mahdawi’s attorneys say they have not received confirmation of his current location, despite repeated efforts. A federal judge in Vermont, William Sessions, has temporarily barred the government from removing him from the state.
Growing Number of Student Detentions
Mahdawi is the latest student to be detained in connection with pro-Palestinian activism. Mahmoud Khalil, also a green card holder, was arrested outside his Columbia-owned apartment last month. The government has accused Khalil of supporting Hamas and participating in “antisemitic protests,” though no direct evidence has been publicly presented.
When asked to justify Khalil’s detention, the government cited a memo from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which claimed Khalil’s actions were “in conflict with American foreign policy objectives.” However, no explicit support for Hamas has been attributed to Khalil.
Another student, Rumeysa Ozturk of Tufts University, was detained weeks later. Her lawyers allege she was targeted for co-authoring a pro-Palestinian op-ed in the student newspaper. Ozturk and Khalil are both currently being held in Louisiana.
A federal immigration judge ruled last week that the government could proceed with deportation efforts against Khalil. He has until later this month to file for relief, and his attorneys plan to appeal. Both Khalil and Ozturk have filed lawsuits challenging their detentions.
Secretary Rubio has publicly defended the policy of revoking residency for pro-Palestinian protesters, posting on X (formerly Twitter):
“We will be revoking the visas and/or green cards of Hamas supporters in America so they can be deported.”
