Columbia University student and Palestinian activist Mohsen Mahdawi has been released from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, according to multiple U.S. media outlets.
The move comes after a Vermont federal judge granted him bail while his legal team pursues a habeas corpus petition challenging the legality of his detention.
Mahdawi, a U.S. green card holder, was arrested in mid-April after arriving for what was supposed to be a routine citizenship interview in Vermont. His legal team, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), has argued that his detention was politically motivated and a retaliation for his vocal advocacy for Palestinian rights.
“The arrest was in direct retaliation for his advocacy on behalf of Palestinians and because of his identity as a Palestinian,” said attorney Luna Droubi. She described the charges against Mahdawi as “baseless” and a “disgrace to the U.S. Constitution,” pledging to continue legal efforts until her client is “free for good.”
Vermont District Judge Geoffrey Crawford rejected a government request to delay Mahdawi’s release by seven days, ordering his immediate bail on Wednesday. The court is expected to rule on the habeas petition in the coming weeks.
Speaking outside the courtroom after his release, Mahdawi expressed gratitude to his supporters and reaffirmed his stance: “We are pro-peace and anti-war. To my people in Palestine: I feel your pain, I see your suffering; and I see freedom—and it is very, very soon.”
The arrest drew widespread criticism from human rights organizations and prominent political figures, including Senator Bernie Sanders, who represents Vermont and has publicly backed Mahdawi’s release.
Just a day before his arrest, Mahdawi voiced concerns in an interview with CBS News, suggesting he suspected the citizenship interview might be a trap. “It’s the first feeling of like, I’ve been waiting for this for more than a year. And the other feeling is like, wait a minute—Is this a honey trap?” he said.
Mahdawi is one of several university students and graduates, including Columbia’s Mahmoud Khalil and Tufts University’s Rumeysa Ozturk, who have faced detentions amid growing protests against the war in Gaza and broader U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.
