NEW YORK — Mohsen Mahdawi, a Columbia University student and vocal pro-Palestine activist, walked free from U.S. immigration custody on April 30 after a federal judge granted him bail. The ruling came as Mahdawi, a legal permanent resident, fought the Trump administration’s push to deport him over his role in campus protests. His release marks a sharp turn in a case that’s sparked fierce debate over free speech and immigration enforcement.
Mahdawi, who co-founded the Palestinian Student Union at Columbia, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on April 16 during what was supposed to be a routine citizenship interview in Burlington, Vermont. Instead of a step toward naturalization, he found himself in handcuffs, held at the Northwest State Correctional Facility. The government pointed to his protest activities, accusing him of inciting unrest through his advocacy for Palestinian rights. Supporters called it a blatant attack on his constitutional protections.
The 27-year-old’s arrest followed that of another Columbia student, Mahmoud Khalil, nabbed by ICE in early March. Both faced scrutiny for their leadership in pro-Palestine demonstrations that have roiled campuses nationwide. Khalil remains in custody in Louisiana, his case tangled in the same web of immigration and free speech disputes.
Mahdawi’s legal team argued his detention was a direct jab at his First Amendment rights. They pressed that he’d committed no crime, and the government’s case hinged solely on the content of his speeches and organizing efforts. The judge’s decision to grant bail allows Mahdawi to challenge deportation proceedings from outside a cell, a small but significant victory for his camp.
Outside the Burlington courthouse, Mahdawi addressed a crowd of supporters, his voice steady but laced with defiance. Demonstrators in New York City had rallied for weeks, hoisting signs reading “Free Mohsen” and clogging streets to demand his release. The scene in Vermont was quieter but no less charged, with activists hailing the ruling as a crack in the administration’s hardline stance.
The case has drawn eyes beyond campus gates. A U.S. senator met with Mahdawi during his detention, later sharing footage of their talk to highlight the student’s plight. Official statements from congressional offices condemned the arrest as a chilling overreach, noting Mahdawi’s clean record and public stance against antisemitism. Government filings, meanwhile, reveal the administration’s broader strategy to target protest leaders under immigration pretexts, a tactic that’s stirred alarm among civil liberties groups.
Mahdawi’s next court date is pending, with deportation hearings likely to stretch into the summer. His lawyers are gearing up for a slog, vowing to fight any move to expel him from the country he’s called home for years. For now, he’s back in New York, navigating the fallout of a case that’s become a flashpoint in the clash over protest and power.
The facts are these: Mahdawi was detained on April 16, released on April 30, and faces ongoing deportation proceedings. He’s a legal resident, a Columbia student, and a protest leader. The judge’s ruling came down in Burlington. Khalil, his fellow activist, is still detained. The government’s case rests on Mahdawi’s advocacy. His supporters call it a witch hunt.