Overview

• Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian Columbia University student and U.S. permanent resident, was arrested on April 14 during a citizenship appointment in Vermont under a Trump administration initiative targeting pro-Palestinian activists.
• U.S. District Judge Geoffrey Crawford ordered Mahdawi's release on April 30, citing violations of his First and Fifth Amendment rights and ruling that his detention could chill protected speech.
• Federal prosecutors, led by Acting U.S. Attorney Michael P. Drescher, have appealed the judge's decision to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, arguing that immigration courts should have jurisdiction over such cases.
• The Trump administration justifies its actions under a Cold War-era immigration law, claiming Mahdawi's activism poses a threat to U.S. foreign policy, while Mahdawi and his lawyers argue his arrest was unconstitutional retaliation for his speech.
• Court documents detail disputed allegations from 2015, including claims that Mahdawi made antisemitic remarks at a Vermont gun shop, which he denies and which the FBI investigated but closed without charges.