US immigration judge blocks Trump administration's bid to deport Palestinian student

WASHINGTON

A US immigration judge terminated removal proceedings Tuesday against Palestinian student and activist Mohsen Mahdawi, ending the Trump administration's efforts to deport him, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

Mahdawi, who led pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University and has lived in the US for more than a decade, was arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents last April during a citizenship interview and spent 16 days in ICE detention.

He was released on bail on April 30 after filing a habeas petition in the US District Court for the District of Vermont in which he argued that he was wrongfully detained in retaliation for his constitutionally protected speech.

Attorneys for Mahdawi notified the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit on Tuesday that removal proceedings were terminated against him, marking a significant development in a case that has raised concerns about due process and free speech protections.

According to a letter filed with the court, the immigration judge ended the proceedings after the government failed to authenticate a memorandum purportedly from Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The document, alleging Mahdawi threatened foreign policy interests, was the basis for his 2025 detention and removal case.

"I am grateful to the court for honoring the rule of law and holding the line against the government's attempts to trample on due process,” said Mahdawi.

"This decision is an important step towards upholding what fear tried to destroy: the right to speak for peace and justice."

Brett Max Kaufman, senior counsel with the ACLU’s Center for Democracy, said the outcome underscores the importance of judicial oversight in immigration cases.