Federal Judge Orders Release of Palestinian Activist Arrested at Citizenship Interview

Mohsen Mahdawi, 34, is a permanent resident of Vermont who had led protests at Columbia University against the war in the Gaza Strip.

Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian man who led protests against the war in the Gaza Strip as a student at Columbia University, is detained at the Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Colchester, Vt., on April 14, 2025. Christopher Helali via AP

A federal judge on April 30 ordered the release of a Palestinian man who led protests at Columbia University against the war in the Gaza Strip and was arrested by immigration authorities during his naturalization interview.

Judge Geoffrey Crawford of the District Court for the District of Vermont ruled that Mohsen Mahdawi, a 34-year-old permanent resident, may return to his home in Vermont and continue his studies at Columbia, where he is expected to graduate this spring while his case proceeds.