On Monday morning, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Mohsen Mahdawi during a routine vehicle stop in Colchester, Vermont. He is a Palestinian green card holder and a current student at Columbia University. His arrest happened in the middle of a naturalization interview, where he was supposed to take the last step toward becoming a citizen. Mahdawi has lived in the United States since 2014 and became a lawful permanent resident in 2015. Currently, he is full-time working toward earning a master’s degree in public administration from Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs.
Mahdawi grew up in his family’s house in a refugee camp in the West Bank. Looking for greener pastures, he came to the U.S. and has lived on a green card for almost a decade. He was at the forefront of pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia last spring, pressing for justice for Palestinians. His activism has drawn scrutiny. Mahdawi went on to be profiled by Canary Mission, an online database that tracks and lists anyone deemed to be anti-Israel or antisemitic. This unlawful profiling may even have brought about the very legal challenges he now faces.
As part of his detention, Mahdawi is facing deportation under a rarely invoked provision that allows the Secretary of State to remove individuals deemed to pose “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.” This provision brings a troubling light to what the life and work of Mahdawi demonstrates, that being an activist and a person of Palestinian background.
His lawyers are currently contesting the detention. They claim that it constitutes an infringement on his First Amendment rights, on his statutory rights, and on his due process rights. Luna Droubi, one of his attorneys, said she was appalled by what led to Mahdawi’s arrest.
“We have not received confirmation as to his whereabouts despite numerous attempts to locate him,” – Luna Droubi.
Droubi adamantly insists that the charges against Mahdawi are politically motivated. He said, “The Trump administration arrested Mohsen Mahdawi as punishment for his activism on behalf of Palestinians and for being a Palestinian. He continued, “This detention is an obvious abuse of power – an attempt to silence anyone who dares to speak out against the atrocities being perpetrated in Gaza. It is also unconstitutional.
The circumstances surrounding Mahdawi’s arrest have drawn national attention from an impressive roster of political heavyweights. Senators Bernie Sanders and Peter Welch, along with Representative Becca Balint, issued a joint statement expressing their shock over the incident.
“Earlier today, Mohsen Mahdawi of White River Junction, Vermont, walked into an immigration office for what was supposed to be the final step in his citizenship process,” – Bernie Sanders, Peter Welch, and Becca Balint.
They added that he was surprised by being arrested and taken away in handcuffs by armed people with masks on their face.
Immediately following his detention, Mahdawi’s legal team went to work. After one of their children’s pretrial hearings, they filed a habeas petition in the District of Vermont. They are requesting a temporary restraining order. This will prevent the government from deporting him out of the jurisdiction, or out of the country entirely.
“We have filed a habeas petition in the District of Vermont and have sought a temporary restraining order restraining the government from removing him from the jurisdiction or from the country,” – Luna Droubi.
On the ground, Mahdawi’s supporters are still fiercely organizing to rally for his release. For instance, they highlight the essential imperative to defend the rights of individuals involved in political advocacy. Yet, his detention has far-reaching implications that supersede his personal situation. It inspires alarming questions about the progression of free speech and the targeting of activists in our current political era.