Columbia Student Freed Amid Deportation, Protest Crackdown

Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian student and pro-Palestinian activist at Columbia University, was released from U.S. immigration custody after a federal judge in Vermont ruled he could challenge the Trump administration’s deportation efforts while free on bail. Mahdawi, a ten-year legal U.S. resident, was arrested by ICE during his citizenship interview, with authorities alleging his activism posed a threat to U.S. foreign policy interests under the Immigration and Nationality Act. Judge Geoffrey Crawford determined Mahdawi was neither a danger nor a flight risk, cautioning that his continued detention could chill First Amendment rights and likening the case to earlier political crackdowns in U.S. history. Upon release, Mahdawi declared, "I am not afraid of you," addressing President Trump, and linked his freedom to broader struggles for justice and free speech. The case has become a focal point amid a wider government crackdown on foreign student protesters, with additional students reportedly still in detention. The Department of Homeland Security criticized the ruling, while Mahdawi’s supporters view it as a positive step for civil liberties.