Vermont: US green card holder Mohsen Mahdawi, a Columbia University student activist, was recently released after being detained during his US citizenship interview. Mahdawi has vowed that intimidation by the Trump administration will not silence his advocacy for peace and justice.
According to Anadolu Agency, Mahdawi, in his first television interview since his release, expressed his determination to continue his activism. Speaking to CBS News, he mentioned that US President Donald Trump "won't silence me" and described his release as a "light of hope" for other detained student activists, including Columbia's Mahmoud Khalil and Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University. The crackdown on foreign student activists began after Trump took office this January.
Mahdawi was detained in mid-April under a legal provision allowing visa revocation for individuals deemed to pose "adverse foreign policy consequences." He arrived for his citizenship appointment, completed the test, and pledged allegiance before being taken into custody by immigration agents.
Addressing his supporters after his release, Mahdawi directly challenged Trump and his Cabinet, stating, "I am not afraid of you. You can do whatever you want. You will not silence me," referring to what he described as a "philosophy of intimidation, of punitive justice."
Mahdawi filed a federal lawsuit for his release, arguing that his detention violated his constitutional free speech rights. US District Judge Geoffrey Crawford granted his release, stating that Mahdawi had "made substantial claims that his detention is the result of retaliation for protected speech."
Detained for about two weeks, Mahdawi criticized his detention as a "betrayal to the Constitution of this country and to the process." He emphasized that he had followed all procedures correctly and expressed his willingness to protect the Constitution.
Mahdawi dismissed the administration's reasoning for his detention as "laughable," questioning how advocating for justice and peace could be seen as undermining US policy.
A letter calling for Mahdawi's deportation, signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, accused him of using threatening rhetoric at protests. However, a video obtained by CBS News shows Mahdawi leading chants against a protester who made an antisemitic comment, emphasizing that antisemitism has no place in their movement.
Mahdawi's case remains open as Judge Crawford reviews his habeas corpus petition, while an appeals court will consider both his and Ozturk's cases. After his release, Mahdawi expressed confidence in the justice system, stating, "I was reassured in my heart of the belief that justice will prevail . and the justice system is functioning."