US Judge Blocks Trump Administration's Attempt to Deport Palestinian Student
Washington (ANTARA) - A US immigration judge on Tuesday (17 February) ruled to terminate deportation proceedings against a Palestinian student, thwarting the Trump administration's efforts to deport him.
Palestinian student and activist Mohsen Mahdawi, who led pro-Palestine protests at Columbia University and had lived in the United States for more than a decade, was arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents last April whilst attending a citizenship interview and spent 16 days in ICE custody.
Mahdawi was released on bail on 30 April after filing a habeas petition in the US District Court for the District of Vermont. He maintained that he had been unlawfully detained as retaliation for exercising his constitutionally protected right to free speech.
Mahdawi's lawyers informed the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit on Tuesday that deportation proceedings against him had been terminated. This development marks a significant turning point in a case that has raised concerns about due process and freedom of expression protections.
According to documents filed with the court, the immigration judge terminated the proceedings after the government failed to authenticate a memorandum allegedly originating from Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The document, which accused Mahdawi of threatening foreign policy interests, had served as the basis for his detention in 2025 and the deportation case against him.
"I am grateful to the court for upholding the rule of law and acting against the government's attempts to trample on due process," Mahdawi said.
"This decision is an important step in defending what fear seeks to destroy: the right to speak out for peace and justice," he added.
Brett Max Kaufman, senior counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Democracy Centre, said the outcome reaffirmed the importance of judicial oversight in immigration cases.
Palestinian student and activist Mohsen Mahdawi, who led pro-Palestine protests at Columbia University and had lived in the United States for more than a decade, was arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents last April whilst attending a citizenship interview and spent 16 days in ICE custody.
Mahdawi was released on bail on 30 April after filing a habeas petition in the US District Court for the District of Vermont. He maintained that he had been unlawfully detained as retaliation for exercising his constitutionally protected right to free speech.
Mahdawi's lawyers informed the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit on Tuesday that deportation proceedings against him had been terminated. This development marks a significant turning point in a case that has raised concerns about due process and freedom of expression protections.
According to documents filed with the court, the immigration judge terminated the proceedings after the government failed to authenticate a memorandum allegedly originating from Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The document, which accused Mahdawi of threatening foreign policy interests, had served as the basis for his detention in 2025 and the deportation case against him.
"I am grateful to the court for upholding the rule of law and acting against the government's attempts to trample on due process," Mahdawi said.
"This decision is an important step in defending what fear seeks to destroy: the right to speak out for peace and justice," he added.
Brett Max Kaufman, senior counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Democracy Centre, said the outcome reaffirmed the importance of judicial oversight in immigration cases.