US judge orders release of detained Palestinian activist Mohsen Mahdawi
Mohsen Mahdawi has walked out of immigration detention a free man.
On Wednesday, a federal judge in Vermont ordered his immediate release, indicating that there had been a miscarriage of justice.
“The two weeks of detention so far demonstrate great harm to a person who has been charged with no crime,” said US district judge Geoffrey Crawford, as reported by ABC News.
“Mr Mahdawi, I will order you released.”
The 34-year-old Columbia University student and legal permanent resident in the US - otherwise known as a green card holder - walked out of court with his hands in the air in a victory sign, as a boisterous, cheering crowd welcomed him.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
“For anybody who is doubting justice, this is a light of hope and faith in the justice system in America,” Mahdawi said.
“We are witnessing the fight for justice in America, which means a true democracy, and the fight for justice for Palestinians, which means that both liberations are interconnected, because no one of us is free unless we all are.”
🚨🇵🇸BREAKING: MOHSEN MAHDAWI IS FREE!
— Party for Socialism and Liberation (@pslnational) April 30, 2025
Mahdawi, a student leader from the pro-Palestine movement Columbia University who was detained by ICE, has officially be released!
In the 2 weeks since his unjust arrest, people across the country and world have waged a committed campaign… pic.twitter.com/r0dqj2QLy0
Mahdawi was detained two weeks ago after being called in for his citizenship interview in Colchester, Vermont.
Like his fellow graduate student Mahmoud Khalil, Madawi was targeted for his pro-Palestine speech in opposition to Israel's war on Gaza. Mahdawi was ordered deported by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whose court filing earlier this week said Mahdawi's presence in the country "undermines US policy to combat antisemitism".
Mahdawi was a vocal participant in the campus protests in support of Gaza last year. He had also formed an outreach group to Jewish students and staff, and even invited pro-Israel faculty to coffee for discussions on the path forward for the two sides.
In an appearance on the CBS programme 60 Minutes one year ago, Mahdawi expressed his firm opposition to antisemitic rhetoric.
The two senators representing Vermont, Bernie Sanders and Peter Welch, advocated for his release, and Welch filmed a brief discussion with Mahdawi during a visit to the detention centre.
On Tuesday, Sanders spoke at a rally in support of Mahdawi outside the State Department in Washington, DC.
"He has used his voice to advocate for peace, justice and dignity for Palestinians and Israelis," Sanders said of Mahdawi. "Not only was [his detention] cruel and inhumane, most importantly, it was illegal, it was unconstitutional."
Well before his arrest, Mahdawi expressed his fears about being taken by federal agents to university administrators at Columbia University, but said he received no help. His case had been preceded by Khalil's, as well as Georgetown University student Badar Khan Suri, and Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk, among others.
They remain in detention, with Rubio having revoked their legal status. The secretary of state also said their links to pro-Palestine individuals or views were adversarial to US foreign policy.
The students' lawyers all insist that Rubio's order infringes on constitutional rights to free speech.
After his release, Madawi reaffirmed his right to free speech.
“I am saying it clear and loud,” Mahdawi said.
“To President Trump and his cabinet: I am not afraid of you.”
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.
