Overview

• Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian permanent U.S. resident of 10 years, was arrested by ICE during a naturalization interview in Colchester, Vermont on April 14, 2025.
• His detention is being challenged as a retaliatory act targeting his pro-Palestinian activism and constitutionally protected speech.
• A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order preventing Mahdawi's removal from Vermont while his habeas corpus petition is under review.
• Mahdawi's arrest is part of a broader pattern of using rarely invoked immigration laws to detain pro-Palestinian activists, including other Columbia University students.
• Elected officials, including Senators Bernie Sanders and Peter Welch, have condemned the arrest as immoral and illegal, calling for Mahdawi's immediate release.