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Detention of Mohsen Mahdawi

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Detention of Mohsen Mahdawi
Part of the activist deportations in the second Trump presidency
Mahdawi in November 2024
DateApril 14, 2025
LocationSt. Albans, Vermont, United States[1]
CausePro-Palestinian activism at Columbia University
ParticipantsU.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
ArrestsMohsen Mahdawi

On April 14, 2025, Columbia University student Mohsen Mahdawi was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in a trap set at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Colchester, Vermont, where United States Citizenship and Immigration Services had informed him he had an interview to obtain U.S. citizenship.[2][3][4]

Biography

Mohsen Mahdawi is a third-generation Palestinian refugee[5] from the Far'a refugee camp, where he lived until 2014.[6] Mahdawi said that, in his childhood in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, he saw his best friend—then 12 years old—shot and killed by an Israeli soldier.[7][8] He also said an Israeli soldier shot him in the leg when he was 15.[9][10]

In 2014, he moved to the United States and in 2015 he became a lawful permanent resident with a green card.[3] He enrolled at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania in 2018 to study computer science before transferring to Columbia's School of General Studies to study philosophy.[9][11] He is due to graduate in May 2025[11] and has been accepted into a masters program at Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs.[3]

Mahdawi is a Buddhist who believes in "non-violence and empathy as a central tenet of his religion."[11] He served as president of the Columbia University Buddhist Association[9] and organized a large Vesak festival at the University in collaboration with the Buddhist Council of New York in 2023.[12] In August 2024, he engaged in a discussion with Buddhist monk Bhikkhu Bodhi,[12] the president of the Buddhist Association of the United States.[13]

While at Columbia, Mahdawi led and helped organize pro-Palestinian protests.[3] Following the outbreak of the Gaza war, Mahdawi co-founded Dar: the Palestinian Student Society with Mahmoud Khalil to "celebrate Palestinian culture, history, and identity."[4] He also helped organize and launch Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), a coalition of over 80 student groups[14] (later amassing over 120 student groups[15]) formed after Columbia's administration quietly changed the university's event policy before banning Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace.[14][16] CUAD was launched on November 14, four days after the administration banned SJP and JVP.[15] CUAD led multiple pro-Palestinian demonstrations calling on the university to divest from Israel.[4] In a December 2023 interview with 60 Minutes, Mahdawi said that he saw his best friend be shot and killed by an Israeli soldier during his childhood in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and that he wanted a peaceful end to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. He also said that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza.[11][7][8][4]

In the spring of 2024, Mahdawi stepped back from the movement to focus on fostering connections with Jewish and Israeli students.[17] He invited several of his critics, including assistant professor Shai Davidai, to speak with him,[18] and remained in contact with David Myers, a former leader of the progressive New Israel Fund and a professor of Jewish history at the University of California, Los Angeles.[19] He repeatedly denounced antisemitism in speeches and interviews, and connected his opposition to antisemitism with his support for the Palestinian cause, saying that "the fight for the freedom of Palestine and the fight against antisemitism go hand in hand, because injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."[17] One of Mahdawi's Israeli colleagues, Aharon Dardik, stated that Mahdawi was vocally opposed to terrorism and antisemitism, instead advocating for peaceful opposition to the conflict.[20] Mahdawi and Dardik created a "framework for the solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict" as one of their class's final research projects.[18][19]

Arrest

He was arrested by ICE agents in a trap set at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office in Colchester, Vermont, where an email from USCIS had informed Mahdawi, a green card holder, that he had an interview to obtain his U.S. citizenship.[2] Instead, he was handcuffed by immigration officers that had their faces covered and escorted into a car by two officers wearing police jackets.[11][4]

According to his attorney Luna Droubi, "Mohsen Mahdawi was unlawfully detained today for no reason other than his Palestinian identity."[2] She also called it "unconstitutional" and "an attempt to silence those who speak out against the atrocities in Gaza."[11]

According to Senator Peter Welch, Mahdawi was detained at the Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans.[21]

Background

Earlier in the month, Mahdawi had received an email from USCIS stating that he had an interview scheduled to obtain his US citizenship.[2] Because the ordinary timeline for the interview would have placed it in December or January, Mahdawi suspected it might be a trap and contacted his representatives in Congress, Senators Bernie Sanders and Peter Welch as well as Representative Becca Balint to inform them of the situation and ask them to intervene if possible.[2] He also contacted State Senator Rebecca White, who had known Mahdawi for around seven years, for her advice on the matter. White cautioned Mahdawi against going.[22] Mahdawi created a Signal group chat titled “Just in case — Mohsen” to communicate with his close friends if he was arrested. White was among those included in the chat.[23]

In the period leading up to his arrest, Mahdawi was targeted by Zionist groups such as Canary Mission and Betar.[2] Canary Mission has an extensive dossier on Mahdawi, in which it claims he wrote a poem in 2013 praising Palestinian militant Dalal Mughrabi and cites a social media post in which he mourns the killing of his cousin, whom it calls a Hamas fighter, by Israeli soldiers.[19] The website mostly accuses him of supporting disinvestment from Israel and being involved in the protest movement Canary Mission describes as "pro-Hamas."[19]

According to The Intercept, even before the arrest of his friend and fellow activist at Columbia Mahmoud Khalil, Mahdawi had reached out to Columbia University administration seeking help so he would not be taken by ICE agents.[2] In a March 17 email addressed to then-Columbia President Katrina Armstrong, School of General Studies dean Lisa Rosen-Metsch, Columbia chief operating officer Cas Holloway, senior vice president of Columbia Health Melanie Bernitz, as well as the Columbia dean of religious life Ian Rottenberg, he wrote: "I am writing to you with a final plea for urgent help. My life is in danger, and Columbia University’s inaction is putting me at further risk."[24] The school did nothing to respond to his appeal.[2][24]

On April 14, Mahdawi's legal team filed a habeas corpus petition against Donald Trump and his administration, describing his detention as unlawful.[9] His lawyers requested a temporary restraining order to prevent him from being transferred out of Vermont by federal authorities. Vermont federal judge William K. Sessions III granted the request and ordered that Mahdawi remain in Vermont.[4] Vermont federal judge Geoffrey W. Crawford extended the request on April 23. A hearing on his request for release on bail will be held on April 30.[25]

In a memo from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, that Mahdawi had "engaged in threatening rhetoric and intimidation of pro-Israeli bystanders" is given as a justification for targeting him.[26][27] This claim was denied by Mahdwi and his lawyer and appears to have been taken verbatim from a November 2023 statement from Columbia University in which it suspended Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace.[27]

Reactions

All three of Vermont's members of Congress, Senator Bernie Sanders, Senator Peter Welch, and Representative Becca Balint, released a joint statement the day of the detention condemning it as "immoral, inhumane, and illegal."[28][9] State Senator Rebecca White, who has known Mahdawi for around seven years, also condemned the arrest, stating, “I had told constituents, ‘You are safe here.’ And I can no longer say that.”[22]

Senator Welch met with Mahdawi, who was detained at the Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans. During the meeting, Mahdawi stated that he was staying positive, expressing faith in the "ability of justice and the deep belief of democracy" in the United States. He also reiterated his support for peace, as well as his empathy for both Palestinians and Israelis.[21][23]

Several Israeli citizens in New York signed an open letter opposing Mahdawi's detention. The letter noted that Mahdawi had actively worked to establish communication with Israelis.[29] David Myers, former leader of the progressive New Israel Fund and a professor of Jewish history at the University of California, Los Angeles, similarly criticized Mahdawi's detention, stating, “This person constitutes a bridge, and we’ve torn that bridge down instead of embracing it.”[19] A former Israeli classmate and friend of Mahdawi, Aharon Dardik, defended Mahdawi, stating,

The irony of him, of all people, being someone they target is so funny to me — this person who has denounced violence. This is a person who had a split from the protest movement because he felt like they were not self-policing. This is a person who has had many, many disagreements with the pro-Palestine movement for feeling that they are refusing to moderate.

A coalition of 135 Buddhist leaders and teachers signed an open letter demanding the release of Mahdawi and other student activists. A second letter, written by the Buddhist Association of the United States president Bhikkhu Bodhi, defended Mahdawi's character and faith; Bodhi and Mahdawi had met earlier in 2024.[13][12]

An article in The Boston Globe profiled the high level of support for Mahdawi in his home state of Vermont, covering a substantial protest at his remote place of detention.[30]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Peter Welch visits Mohsen Mahdawi in prison". 2025-04-22. Retrieved 2025-04-22.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Lacy, Akela (2025-04-14). "Palestinian Student Leader Was Called In for Citizenship Interview — Then Arrested by ICE". The Intercept. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  3. ^ a b c d Betts, Anna (2025-04-14). "Mohsen Mahdawi, Palestinian green card holder and Columbia student, detained by Ice". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Otterman, Sharon; Ley, Ana (2025-04-14). "Columbia Activist Arrested by ICE at His Appointment for Citizenship". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  5. ^ Cruz, Liset; Fahy, Claire (2023-11-15). "Columbia Faces Protests After Suspending 2 Pro-Palestinian Groups". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  6. ^ Mansoor, Saad (2019-03-24). "Lehigh holds vigil after massacre". The Brown and White. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  7. ^ a b Whitaker, Bill (2023-12-03). "60 Minutes: Tensions over the ongoing Israel-Hamas war surge on college campuses". CBS News. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  8. ^ a b "Columbia University student arrested, detained by DHS agents, lawyer says". ABC7 New York. 2025-04-14. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  9. ^ a b c d e Alfred, Tsehai. "Palestinian activist Mohsen Mahdawi, GS '25, detained by ICE at naturalization appointment". Columbia Daily Spectator. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  10. ^ Mendell, Chris. "Hundreds of pro-Palestinian students walk out as part of national call to action, gather for 'peaceful protest art installation'". Columbia Daily Spectator. Retrieved 2025-04-15.
  11. ^ a b c d e f "Mohsen Mahdawi: Palestinian student activist arrested at US citizenship interview". BBC News. 2025-04-14. Retrieved 2025-04-15.
  12. ^ a b c Keezing, Michael Santi (2025-04-21). "Mohsen Mahdawi, the Buddhist". Tricycle: The Buddhist Review. Retrieved 2025-04-25.
  13. ^ a b Sperry, Rod Meade. "Coalition of Buddhist teachers, Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi issue new letters of support for Mohsen Mahdawi". Lion’s Roar. Retrieved 2025-04-25.
  14. ^ a b Mendell, Chris. "Over 80 student groups form coalition following suspension of SJP, JVP". Columbia Daily Spectator. Retrieved 2025-03-10.
  15. ^ a b M., Dasha; Qashou, Luma; Behrangi, Parviz; Reynolds, Caroline; Haddad, Amal (2024-07-02). "Palestine is the Vanguard for Our Liberation: Insights from the Students' Intifada at Columbia University". Middle East Critique. 33 (3): 487–516. doi:10.1080/19436149.2024.2383827. ISSN 1943-6149.
  16. ^ "Columbia University Apartheid Divest: Who we are". Columbia Daily Spectator. November 14, 2023. Archived from the original on March 10, 2025. Retrieved March 11, 2025.
  17. ^ a b Lacy, Akela (2025-04-15). ""How Can I Take Anyone Seriously Talking About Mohsen Being Antisemitic?"". The Intercept. Retrieved 2025-04-19.
  18. ^ a b Alfred, Tsehai. "'Thoughtful, compassionate, intelligent': Friends of Mohsen Mahdawi, GS '25, speak against characterizations of him by the federal government". Columbia Daily Spectator. Retrieved 2025-04-19.
  19. ^ a b c d e Ley, Ana; Otterman, Sharon; Bhutani, Anvee (2025-04-17). "He Wanted Peace in the Middle East. ICE Wants to Deport Him". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-04-19.
  20. ^ Lacy, Akela (2025-04-15). ""How Can I Take Anyone Seriously Talking About Mohsen Being Antisemitic?"". The Intercept. Retrieved 2025-04-19.
  21. ^ a b "Detained Palestinian activist in Vermont prison says he's 'in good hands'". AP News. 2025-04-22. Retrieved 2025-04-24.
  22. ^ a b McDonnell Nieto del Rio, Giulia (April 15, 2025). "Columbia student Mohsen Mahdawi and his friends expected his arrest by immigration authorities ahead of citizenship interview". Boston Globe. Retrieved 2025-04-24.
  23. ^ a b Slater, Joanna (2025-04-23). "Columbia student arrested by ICE has deep well of support in Vermont". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2025-04-24.
  24. ^ a b Thakker, Prem. "Emails Show Mohsen Mahdawi Pleaded with Columbia for Protection for Months Before ICE Detained Him". zeteo.com. Retrieved 2025-04-20.
  25. ^ Amatulli, Jenna (2025-04-23). "Judge orders bail hearing for detained student Mohsen Mahdawi next week". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-04-24.
  26. ^ Aleaziz, Hamed; Bromwich, Jonah E. (2025-04-15). "U.S. Cites Mideast Peace Process to Justify Move to Deport Student". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-04-20.
  27. ^ a b Bose, Meghnad. "The State Department Relied on Columbia University's Mischaracterization of Protests to Arrest Mohsen Mahdawi". www.dropsitenews.com. Retrieved 2025-04-20.
  28. ^ Roy, Yash (2025-04-15). "A Palestinian student leader at Columbia was steps away from his final citizenship interview. He instead faces deportation". CNN. Retrieved 2025-04-15.
  29. ^ Drill, Josh (2025-04-16). "As Israelis in New York, we're horrified by ICE's detention of one of our Palestinian partners in peace". The Forward. Retrieved 2025-04-19.
  30. ^ Heintz, Paul (April 16, 2025). "'The town loved him': Palestinian student detained in Vermont forged deep connections in the Upper Valley - The Boston Globe". Boston Globe. Retrieved 2025-04-18.
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