Palestinian Mohsen Mahadawi, who grew up in a refugee camp on the West Bank, arrived on Monday for a meeting with American immigration authorities in Vermont. But instead of continuing the process towards citizenship, he was handcuffed and arrested by the immigration authority ICE, report American media.
Founded a club
Mahadawi has been in the USA since 2014 and has a so-called green card, which gives him the right to live and work permanently in the country. He is soon to complete his philosophy studies and planned to read a master's in international politics. He is openly critical of Israel's military operations in Gaza.
Together with Mahmoud Khalil, another Columbia student whose arrest has made big headlines, he founded the Palestinian student organization Dar and has spoken at protests, reports The New York Times.
The White House has claimed that propaganda for the terrorist-stamped Hamas was distributed at such arrangements.
In the spring of 2024, before the pro-Palestinian tent camp was built on campus, Mohsen Mahadawi stopped arranging demonstrations, according to CNN.
He has not been accused of any crime, but relatives fear that Donald Trump's administration wants to deport him with reference to the same rules as referred to in Khalil's case: that his presence would constitute a threat to the USA's security interests.
Breach of the Constitution?
"The Trump administration arrested Mohsen Mahdawi as a direct retaliation for his engagement for Palestinians and because of his Palestinian identity", writes Mahdawi's lawyer Luna Droubi in a comment to CNN.
"The arrest is an attempt to silence those who speak out against the atrocities in Gaza. It is also unconstitutional."
The lawyer says she has received confirmation that Mahdawi is still being held in Vermont, where he is registered. Neither his mother nor sister is said to have had contact with him.
