Overview

• Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian-born Columbia University student and U.S. permanent resident since 2015, was detained by ICE agents during a citizenship interview in Colchester, Vermont.
• The Trump administration invoked a rarely used immigration law provision, citing Mahdawi's alleged adverse impact on U.S. foreign policy as justification for his detention.
• A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order preventing Mahdawi's deportation or relocation outside Vermont while legal proceedings continue.
• Vermont lawmakers, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, condemned the arrest as 'immoral, inhumane, and illegal,' demanding Mahdawi's immediate release and due process.
• Mahdawi's detention is part of a broader federal crackdown on pro-Palestinian student activists, with critics alleging politically motivated targeting of free speech and civil rights.