(A7) Mohsen Mahdawi, a 34-year-old Palestinian student at Columbia University who was detained by ICE after organizing anti-Israel demonstrations, was released from custody on Wednesday. His release followed a ruling by US District Judge Geoffrey Crawford, who stated that Mahdawi did not present any danger to the public or risk of fleeing.

Mahdawi, a US permanent resident for a decade, had been taken into custody on April 14 during a scheduled interview concerning his naturalization process. Upon exiting the Vermont courthouse, he addressed the Trump administration directly, declaring, “I am not afraid of you.”

Federal authorities defended Mahdawi’s detainment at Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans, Vermont, as a legal part of the deportation procedure. The State Department asserted that Mahdawi, originally from the West Bank, was subject to removal under immigration law. Secretary of State Marco Rubio alleged that Mahdawi’s campus actions posed a threat to vital US foreign policy interests and could negatively influence international relations.

The government further accused him of using intimidating language toward Jewish students during the protests. However, Mahdawi’s attorneys contended his arrest was a direct retaliation for leading disruptive anti-Israel demonstrations at Columbia University.

Judge Crawford drew parallels between the recent surge in immigration-related arrests and the McCarthy-era Red Scare, suggesting a concerning trend. Under the court’s decision, Mahdawi is permitted to maintain his residency in Vermont, return to New York, and complete his studies at Columbia.

Previously a co-president of the suspended Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), Mahdawi helped organize protests regarding the conflict in Gaza. After his release, he rallied outside the courthouse, chanting “Free Palestine” and advocating for free expression.

“We must keep fighting for justice,” he said. “The world is watching, and what happens here in the US matters globally.”