Mohsen Mahdawi: Palestinian Student Detained by ICE Amid Claims of Promoting Anti-Semitism

A video circulated on social media shows Columbia University student Mohsen Mahdawi, a Gaza protest leader and 10-year Green Card holder, being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as he attended what was supposed to be his citizenship ceremony in White River Junction, Vermont.

Several accounts on X accused Mahdawi of promoting terrorism and supporting anti-Semitic and anti-American speech.

Other posts celebrated Mahdawi’s arrest and called for the deportation of him and other students who protested against Israel’s aggression on Gaza.

Mohsen Mahdawi’s ‘60 Minutes’ Interview on Opposing Anti-Semitism

In an interview with Bill Whitaker, a CBS journalist and correspondent, on the show 60 Minutes, Mohsen Mahdawi spoke about his activism in the recent protests that took over the Columbia University campus in support of the Palestinian people in Gaza.

During the interview, Mahdawi recalled an instance when he stood up to an intruder at their protest who yelled, “Death to Jews,” emphasizing his opposition to the statement.

“I walked directly to the person and told him, ‘You don’t represent us,’ because this is not something we agree with,” Mahdawi said.

He also said, “The fight for the freedom of Palestine and the fight against anti-Semitism go hand in hand because injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

Mohsen Mahdawi’s Arrest in Vermont

Mahdawi’s lawyers said he was detained at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Colchester by several ICE agents and was taken to an unknown location.

“The Trump administration detained Mohsen Mahdawi in direct retaliation for his advocacy on behalf of Palestinians and because of his identity as a Palestinian,” the Associated Press reported, citing an email from attorney Luna Droubi.

Commenting on the detention, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders posted an official statement on X demanding Mahdawi’s release, saying, “He must be afforded due process under the law.”

Christopher Helali, a friend of Mahdawi, was present at the time of the arrest and recorded a video of him being led away by ICE agents. Helali told the AP that Mahdawi was aware of the possibility of his detention; however, he went to his citizenship ceremony anyway.

Who is Mohsen Mahdawi?

Raised in the West Bank, Mahdawi has been a Green Card holder since 2015, after moving to the United States in 2014. He is set to graduate from Columbia University with a degree in philosophy next month and plans to pursue his master’s degree later this year.

Al Jazeera reported that Mahdawi said he witnessed the killing of his uncle by the Israeli army in the West Bank and recalled collecting body parts of Palestinians on the street where he grew up.

Mahdawi co-founded the Palestinian Student Union at Columbia with fellow student Mahmoud Khalil, another Palestinian student leader who was also recently detained by ICE for his activism on campus.

Trump’s crackdown on student visa holders

The Trump administration has announced plans to revoke visas for foreign students who took part in the massive protests across the U.S. against Israeli aggression on Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of students called on their universities to sever ties with Israeli organizations and for the U.S. government to end its support of Israel.

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