COLCHESTER, VERMONT – The whereabouts of Palestinian green card holder and Columbia University student Mohsen Mahdawi remain unknown after being apprehended by US immigration authorities on Monday. Mahdawi, a prominent leader in pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia, was arrested by Ice while attending a naturalization interview in Colchester, Vermont, according to his lawyer Luna Droubi.
Despite numerous attempts to locate Mahdawi, his attorney has not received any confirmation regarding his whereabouts. In response, a habeas petition has been filed in the District of Vermont seeking a temporary restraining order to prevent his removal from the jurisdiction or the country.
The detention of Mahdawi has sparked concern among human rights advocates, with Silky Shah from Detention Watch Network criticizing President Donald Trump’s actions to normalize deportation without due process. The situation escalated as Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen sought to visit his constituent Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia in El Salvador, only to have the White House falsely equate Garcia to an “illegal immigrant gang member.”
The Trump administration’s controversial actions have drawn criticism from various lawmakers and organizations, including Vermont politicians Bernie Sanders, Peter Welch, and Becca Balint, who have demanded Mahdawi’s immediate release. Meanwhile, the detention of Dr. Badar Khan Suri, a senior postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University, has raised concerns over immigration authorities’ targeting of pro-Palestinian individuals in the US.
In light of these incidents, Vermont lawmakers have condemned the administration’s detention of Mahdawi as immoral, inhumane, and illegal, emphasizing the need for due process and immediate release. The ongoing actions of Ice and the Trump administration targeting pro-Palestinian individuals have raised alarms among advocates and politicians alike.
Moving forward, the uncertain fate of Mahdawi and other individuals caught in the immigration system underscores the need for reform and respect for human rights. As tensions continue to mount, the implications of these actions reach beyond individual cases to reflect broader systemic issues within the US immigration and legal systems. It remains to be seen how authorities will address these concerns and uphold principles of justice and fairness for all individuals involved.