Judge blocks deportation of Columbia grad student, Palestinian activist Mohsen Mahdawi

"Nearly a year ago, I was detained at my citizenship interview, not for breaking the law but for speaking against the genocide of Palestinians, Mahdawi said in a statement. In a climate where dissent is increasingly met with intimidation and detention, today's ruling renews hope that due process still applies and that no agency stands above the Constitution."

"In a letter filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit, Mahdawi's lawyers said Immigration Judge Nina Froes terminated removal proceedings last week because the Trump administration did not authenticate a memo from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio that claimed Mahdawi was a threat to U.S. foreign policy, which Mahdawi has denied."

"The appeals court is reviewing his case alongside that of Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk, who the Trump administration also tried to deport. The Trump administration could still appeal the decision to the Board of Immigration Appeals or try to refile a new case based on the same allegations. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not immediately say if the administration plans to do either, though directed the Daily News to 2015 allegations by a Vermont gun shop owner that Mahdawi had threatened violence against Jews. Mahdawi and his lawyers have vehemently denied the claims, and there were no charges filed or action taken against him."

An immigration judge terminated removal proceedings, blocking deportation of Columbia University graduate student Mohsen Mahdawi, a pro-Palestinian activist detained at his naturalization interview in Vermont last April. Mahdawi, a lawful permanent resident, was held for more than two weeks and released on bail after filing a habeas petition alleging government retaliation for constitutionally protected speech opposing Israel's military operations in Gaza. The termination cited the Trump administration's failure to authenticate a memo purporting to show Mahdawi was a threat to U.S. foreign policy. The 2nd Circuit is reviewing the case alongside another attempted deportation; DHS referenced unproven 2015 allegations that Mahdawi denies.

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