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Mohsen Mahdawi had been an organizer of pro-Palestinian protests at the university. The Trump administration is trying to deport him for it.
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Freed Columbia Student to Trump: ‘I Am Not Afraid of You’
Mohsen Mahdawi, an organizer of the pro-Palestinian movement at Columbia University, was freed from federal custody on Wednesday as immigration officials seek to rescind his green card.
“He’s free!” [cheering] “To President Trump and his cabinet, I am not afraid of you. [cheering] We must stand up for humanity because the rest of the world, not only Palestine, is watching us. And what is going to happen in America is going to affect the rest of the world.” Crowd: “No fear, no fear, no fear, no fear, no fear.” “It sends a message that is loud and clear, not only to the Vermonters, but to the rest of America. And the message is: We the people will hold the Constitution accountable for the principles and values that we believe in.” [cheering]
April 30, 2025Updated 4:02 p.m. ET
Mohsen Mahdawi, an organizer of the pro-Palestinian movement at Columbia University, was freed from federal custody on Wednesday, more than two weeks after immigration officials detained him and sought to rescind his green card as part of a widening crackdown against student protesters.
In releasing Mr. Mahdawi on bail, Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford of Federal District Court in Vermont drew parallels between the current political climate and McCarthyism.
“This is not the first time that the nation has seen chilling action by the government intended to shut down debate,” Judge Crawford said.
The release of Mr. Mahdawi, a permanent legal resident, is a defeat for the Trump administration, though it does not mean the end of the federal government’s action against him. His immigration case will continue, but he will be able to fight it from outside a detention facility.
Mr. Mahdawi struck a defiant tone after his release.
“I am saying it clear and loud, to President Trump and his cabinet: I am not afraid of you,” he said.
The secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has argued that protesters like Mr. Mahdawi have spread antisemitism, while demonstrators say criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza is not antisemitic.
