A Palestinian activist expecting a US citizenship interview is arrested
instead by ICE in Vermont
[April 15, 2025]
By PATRICK WHITTLE and HOLLY RAMER
A Palestinian man who led protests against the war in Gaza as a student
at Columbia University was arrested Monday at a Vermont immigration
office where he expected to be interviewed about finalizing his U.S.
citizenship, his attorneys said.
Mohsen Mahdawi, a legal permanent resident who has held a green card
since 2015, was detained at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services office in Colchester by Immigration and Customs Enforcement
agents, his lawyers said.
The attorneys said they do not know where he is. They filed a petition
in federal court seeking an order barring the government from removing
him from the state or country.
"The Trump administration detained Mohsen Mahdawi in direct retaliation
for his advocacy on behalf of Palestinians and because of his identity
as a Palestinian. His detention is an attempt to silence those who speak
out against the atrocities in Gaza. It is also unconstitutional,"
attorney Luna Droubi said in an email.
According to the court filing, Mahdawi was born in a refugee camp in the
West Bank and moved to the United States in 2014. He recently completed
coursework at Columbia and was expected to graduate in May before
beginning a master's degree program there in the fall.
The petition describes him as a committed Buddhist who believes in
"non-violence and empathy as a central tenet of his religion.”
As a student, Mahdawi was an outspoken critic of Israel's military
campaign in Gaza and organized campus protests until March 2024. He
co-founded the Palestinian Student Union at Columbia with Mahmoud Khalil,
another Palestinian permanent resident of the U.S. and graduate student
who recently was detained by ICE.
Khalil was the first person arrested under President Donald Trump’s
promised crackdown on students who joined campus protests against the
war in Gaza. On Friday, an immigration judge in Louisiana ruled that
Khalil can be deported as a national security risk.
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This image taken from a video provided by Christopher Helali shows
Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian man who led protests against the war
in Gaza as a student at Columbia University, being detained at the
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Colchester, Vt.,
on Monday, April 14, 2025. (Christopher Helali via AP)
Christopher Helali, a friend of Mahdawi who lives near him in
Vermont, was present outside the immigration office when Mahdawi was
detained and recorded a video of Mahdawi being led away by
authorities. In the video, which Helali released on social media
Monday, Mahdawi is shown giving a peace sign with his hands and
being led away to a car.
Helali described Mahdawi as a peaceful demonstrator who has worked
to foster dialogue about the struggle of Palestinians in his
homeland. Helali said he and Mahdawi were aware that Mahdawi could
be detained today and that his friend went forward with the
appointment anyway.
“And rightfully so, he was nervous for what was going on around him.
But he was very much resolute in coming to this interview and coming
today because he didn’t do anything wrong and was a law-abiding
citizen, or soon-to-be citizen,” Helali said.
Vermont's congressional delegation issued a statement condemning
Mahdawi's arrest, saying that instead of taking one of the final
steps in his citizenship process, he was handcuffed by armed
officers with their faces covered.
“This is immoral, inhumane, and illegal. Mr. Mahdawi, a legal
resident of the United States, must be afforded due process under
the law and immediately released from detention,” said the statement
from Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Peter Welch and Rep. Becca Balint.
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