ICE Arrests Columbia Activist Mohsen Mahdawi During Citizenship Interview

Mohsen Mahdawi, a Columbia University student and pro-Palestinian activist, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a citizenship appointment in Vermont on Monday. His arrest follows a month after the far-right pro-Israel group Betar identified him as a target for deportation, and it has raised concerns among lawmakers who deemed the action 'immoral and illegal.' Mahdawi, who has held a green card for ten years and co-founded Columbia's Palestinian Student Union, is now facing potential deportation alongside another student activist, Mahmoud Khalil. Vermont's federal judge has granted a temporary restraining order to prevent Mahdawi's transfer from Vermont or removal from the U.S. His legal team argues that the government's actions violate his First Amendment rights. The situation reflects ongoing tensions surrounding campus activism related to Palestinian rights and U.S. immigration policies under the previous administration.