Palestinian Columbia Protester Detained by ICE During Citizenship Appointment

[Social Media]

 

Palestinian Columbia Protester Detained by ICE During Citizenship Appointment

 

Palestinian student and activist Mohsen Mahdawi, who had been living in the United States for a decade, was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents during what was supposed to be the final step in his journey toward American citizenship. The incident occurred Monday at a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office in Burlington, Vermont, and has since sparked outrage among civil rights advocates and lawmakers.

Rabid antisemite and 16-year Columbia student Mohsen Mahdawi has been taken into custody by ICE.

StopAntisemitism exposed his dangerous antisemitic and anti-American rhetoric in 2024.

Justifying, glorifying, and promoting terrorism while a guest in America is no longer… pic.twitter.com/DGyeuCfXAH

— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) April 14, 2025

 

According to The Intercept, Mahdawi, who originally came from the West Bank and had obtained a green card during his time in the U.S., was actively involved in pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia University. He had served as a leader of Columbia’s Palestinian student union and was a visible presence at anti-Israel protests on the university’s Morningside Heights campus up until the spring.

 

 

The arrest, captured on video and circulated on social media, shows Mahdawi handcuffed and being escorted by federal agents into an unmarked vehicle. Speaking to The Intercept, Mahdawi described his detention as a life-threatening consequence. “It’s kind of a death sentence,” he said. “Because my people are being killed unjustly in an indiscriminate way.”

 

 

His lawyer, Luna Droubi, condemned the arrest as baseless and discriminatory. “He was unlawfully detained today for no reason other than his Palestinian identity,” Droubi said. “He came to this country hoping to be free to speak out about the atrocities he has witnessed, only to be punished for such speech.”

 

Neither the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) nor the State Department responded to media requests for comment. Columbia University, citing Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) obligations, declined to speak on the matter.

 

Mahdawi had reportedly gone into hiding prior to his arrest, fearing he might become a target of the Trump administration’s broader deportation efforts. During that time, he reached out to Columbia University requesting help with shelter, but, according to him, received no response.

While in hiding, he received a notice that his citizenship interview had been rescheduled from a later date to an earlier one. Concerned that this might be a trap, Mahdawi still chose to attend — and was arrested upon arrival.

 

Mahdawi also claimed that the FBI had visited him late last year but had taken no formal action at the time. Reflecting on his circumstances, he told The Intercept, “This is the outcome. I will be either living or imprisoned or killed by the apartheid system.”

 

In a December 2023 appearance on 60 Minutes, Mahdawi criticized then-Columbia President Minouche Shafik’s response to the Hamas attack on Israel, arguing it failed to acknowledge Palestinian suffering. “That’s why they’re crushing universities now, it’s not only about Palestine,” he said. Despite everything, Mahdawi expressed belief in the American people: “People ask me why I would want to become a citizen of a country committing genocide. I have faith in the people living in this country. The government is not the people.”

 

His arrest drew sharp criticism from lawmakers, including Vermont’s Independent Senator Bernie Sanders, who issued a joint statement with Senator Peter Welch and Representative Becca Balint. “Mohsen Mahdawi of White River Junction, Vermont was illegally detained by ICE during what was supposed to be the final step in his citizenship process,” Sanders wrote on X. “Mr. Mahdawi, a legal resident of the US, must be afforded due process under the law and immediately released from detention.”

 

Based on a report by NYP  2025-04-16

 

Related Topic:

Democrats Face Backlash for Supporting Arrested Palestinian Activist Mahmoud Khalil