Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian activist in Vermont, was arrested by immigration officers during a citizenship appointment. This sparked outrage among lawmakers who condemned the actions as immoral and illegal, affirming Mahdawi's right to due process. His arrest is part of a larger trend where legal residents and international students face immigration crackdowns linked to perceived anti-Semitism. In a recent 60 Minutes interview, Mahdawi discussed witnessing violence involving Hamas and expressed concerns over the potential repercussions of the October 7 assaults on Israel, highlighting a complex interplay of activism and immigration policy.
"This is immoral, inhumane, and illegal," they said in a statement. "Mr. Mahdawi, a legal resident of the United States, must be afforded due process under the law and immediately released from detention."
"I could not believe what my eyes were seeing, where I see Hamas members getting into settlements and so on. But also the first moment I saw that I put my hand on my heart. I started praying, knowing that there will be a huge level of revenge from the Israelis."
Mahdawi's lawyers requested a temporary restraining order to prevent his transportation to a less sympathetic jurisdiction, as the government has done in the cases of Mahmoud Khalil and Rumeysa Ozturk.
The administration has justified the arrests of international students and the revocation of student visas by making generalized allegations of anti-Semitism on college campuses.
Collection
[
|
...
]