Palestinian Columbia Student Detained By ICE Released By Federal Judge

NEW YORK CITY — A federal judge in Vermont ordered on Wednesday the release of Columbia University student protester Mohsen Mahdawi, who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement during an interview about finalizing his U.S. citizenship on April 14.

Mahdawi, 34, is a senior at Columbia who was involved in pro-Palestine protests and has been a legal permanent United States resident for more than 10 years, his lawyers say. He was born in a refugee camp in the West Bank and moved to the United States in 2014, according to reports.

He was detained by ICE during a naturalization interview — one of the final steps to becoming a U.S. citizen — in Colchester, Vermont, on April 14, his lawyers say.

To target Mahdawi, the Trump administration used a new policy of using a provision of the 1953 Immigration and Nationality Act to arrest and detain noncitizens who engage in protest that could harm the country's international relations.

Like Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a letter that allowing Mahdawi to remain in the country would undermine U.S. foreign policy "by reinforcing antisemitic sentiment.”

Mahdawi was not charged with any crime.

“Never give up on the idea that justice will prevail,” Mahdawi said to supporters and press outside the Burlington, Vermont, courthouse after the ruling was finalized by U.S. District Judge Geoffrey Crawford.

“We want to stand up for humanity, because the rest of the world - not only Palestine - is watching us. And what is going to happen in America is going to affect the rest of the world,” Mahdawi said, according to the Associated Press.

Mahdawi was being held in federal immigration detention at Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans, Vermont. He has been released while his case proceeds.

This is a developing story and will be updated. For questions and tips, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.