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Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian green-card holder and Columbia University student, was released from immigration detention on Wednesday after spending two weeks in custody. A federal judge in Vermont ordered his release, citing a lack of evidence that justified his continued confinement. Mahdawi had been detained and ordered deported by the Trump administration on April 14, despite not facing any criminal charges.
“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 during the hearing, as reported by ABC News. “Mr. Mahdawi, I will order you released.”
Court: Detention Unjustified and Harmful to Free Speech
In his ruling, Judge Crawford wrote that the evidence presented in court “suggests that Mr. Mahdawi is neither a flight risk or a danger to the community, and his release will not interfere with his removal proceedings.” He further concluded that the government “failed to demonstrate any legitimate interest in Mr. Mahdawi’s continued confinement” and warned that “continued detention would likely have a chilling effect on protected speech.”
The judge ordered Mahdawi’s release on bail while his case continues in federal court. The order permits Mahdawi to remain in Vermont and travel to New York for his education and legal consultations. His federal court proceedings will run parallel to separate immigration proceedings.
Mohsen Mahdawi Gives Message of Solidarity
Following his release, Mahdawi walked out of detention Wednesday morning and was greeted by supporters. Expressing gratitude, he addressed the crowd with a message of hope.
“For anybody who is doubting justice, this is a light of hope and faith in the justice system in America,” he 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 liberation[s] are interconnected, because no one of us is free unless we all are.”
BREAKING: A judge just ordered pro-Palestine Columbia student Mohsen Mahdawi freed weeks after armed Trump DHS agents detained him at his Vermont naturalization interview. pic.twitter.com/OMgOyuapoy
— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) April 30, 2025
Legal Team Celebrates a Major Win
Outside the courthouse, Shezza Abboushi Dallal, one of Mahdawi’s attorneys, hailed the ruling as a significant milestone.
“Today’s victory cannot be overstated,” she said. “The court’s order to free Mohsen today is a victory for Mohsen, in his just pursuit of continued advocacy for Palestinian lives, and it is a victory for all people in this country invested in their ability to dissent and speak and protest for causes they are morally drawn to. We will continue our legal battle for Mohsen until his constitutional rights are fully vindicated.”
Why Was Mohsen Mahdawi Arrested?
Mahdawi was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Colchester, Vermont, while attending a naturalization interview. His detention is part of a broader pattern in which international students have been targeted for their advocacy on behalf of Palestinians.
The Trump administration is pursuing Mahdawi’s deportation under a little-known statute that allows the Secretary of State to revoke the legal status of individuals deemed a threat to US foreign policy. The administration argues that the 34-year-old’s presence and actions in the United States “would have serious adverse foreign policy consequences and would compromise a compelling US foreign policy interest.”
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