A Palestinian activist known for his anti-Israel protests at Columbia University will remain in the U.S., as an immigration judge has denied the government’s deportation efforts. This decision was made by Judge Nina Froese on February 13, who concluded that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had not presented enough evidence to justify Mohsen Mahdawi’s removal.
Froese pointed out that a document allegedly signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio was among the evidence DHS relied on, but they couldn’t verify its authenticity. Because of this, the judge noted the government failed to meet its burden of proof regarding Mahdawi’s deportation.
Mahdawi’s legal team announced this judgment in a filing with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, currently reviewing a prior decision that saw his release from immigration detention in April 2025. Mahdawi, who was detained during a citizenship interview in Vermont, had been held for over two weeks before being released on bail following a habeas corpus petition.
A federal judge had intervened, instructing authorities not to deport or remove him, which led to his release under the ruling of U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Crawford in Burlington. According to earlier court filings, Mahdawi co-founded the Palestinian Student Union at Columbia University following the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, doing so alongside Mahmoud Khalil.
The deportation attempt is linked to allegations from 2015 when Mahdawi faced questioning by the FBI due to purported anti-Semitic remarks made at a Vermont gun store and museum. Evidence suggests that he had expressed a desire to buy firearms, including sniper rifles and automatic weapons, and made extreme statements regarding violence, which he has since denied.
Mahdawi’s representatives stated law enforcement conducted extensive investigations but found “no evidence” of the accusations. In a recent statement, Mahdawi conveyed gratitude for the court’s ruling, emphasizing the importance of lawful processes in the face of what he characterized as governmental overreach.
He remarked, “This decision is a vital measures to safeguard what terror aimed to obliterate: the voice advocating for peace and justice. Nearly a year prior, I was apprehended not for any legal transgression but merely for opposing the genocide of Palestinians.” The DHS has yet to comment on this ruling.
