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Vermont judge orders release of a Palestinian man arrested at his US citizenship interview

  • A Vermont judge ordered the release of Palestinian Columbia University student Mohsen Mahdawi after his two-week detention at a U.S. citizenship interview in Burlington.
  • Mahdawi’s detention by Homeland Security Investigations on April 14 followed government claims that his presence posed serious adverse foreign policy consequences due to his activism and speech.
  • Despite a 2015 FBI inquiry into allegations against Mahdawi that were found fabricated, he was held in Vermont state prison under removal proceedings while continuing advocacy for Palestinian rights.
  • Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford ruled Mahdawi’s detention unconstitutional, citing First Amendment protections and comparing the case to historic political deportations, while attorneys called the targeting retaliatory.
  • Mahdawi’s release allows limited travel and continued education, highlights concerns over immigration enforcement on activists, and signals ongoing legal battles for others similarly detained under the Trump administration.
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NY1 broke the news in New York, United States on Wednesday, April 30, 2025.
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