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Mohsen Mahdawi had every reason to think April 8, 2025, would be the day he stepped into a new chapter—as a US citizen. Instead, the Palestinian student leader at Columbia University walked into a Vermont immigration office and was greeted not by an oath ceremony, but by plainclothes federal agents. Mahdawi, who has lived legally in the US for a decade, was handcuffed and taken into custody.
The twisty turn of events unfolded at a US Citizenship and Immigration Services facility in Colchester, Vermont. According to CNN, Mahdawi was detained just before what was supposed to be his final interview to become a citizen. His lawyer, Luna Droubi, told CNN that the detention is “an attempt to silence those who speak out against the atrocities in Gaza,” calling it “unconstitutional.”
From cap and gown to cuffs and cold holding cells
Mahdawi isn’t just a student—he’s a senior at Columbia University and a co-founder of its Palestinian Student Union. He had stepped back from activism in March 2024, according to CNN, months before campus protests over Gaza reignited. But that didn’t shield him. Droubi told CNN the detention was “in direct retaliation for his advocacy on behalf of Palestinians and because of his identity.”
A Vermont District judge has issued a temporary restraining order preventing Mahdawi’s removal from both Vermont and the US, as reported by CNN. Droubi confirmed to CNN that Mahdawi remains in Vermont and that one of his attorneys has spoken with him. She emphasized that if officials transfer him now, it would directly violate the court’s order.
Another student, another state, same story
Mahdawi isn’t alone. Mahmoud Khalil, another Palestinian student leader at Columbia and co-founder of the same union, was detained on March 8, 2025, and is currently held in Louisiana. According to CNN, he is also a green card holder and is married to a US citizen. A Louisiana immigration judge ruled Khalil is subject to removal under claims of endangering US foreign policy. His attorneys are appealing.
Lawmakers, lawyers, and legal limbo
Vermont’s full congressional delegation called the detention “immoral, inhumane and illegal,” in a joint statement reported by CNN. Meanwhile, the Trump administration appears to be invoking the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, using the “foreign policy rule” to justify its actions. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told CNN last week that visas would be revoked if individuals acted against “national interest.”
What was supposed to be a celebration of belonging has now turned into a legal and political battle that could shape more than just Mahdawi’s future.
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