Detained activist suspected US immigration interview was a trap
Palestinian student activist arrested at US citizenship interview
Who is Mahmoud Khalil, Palestinian student activist facing US deportation?
A student from Columbia University and Palestinian activist, who was apprehended by US immigration officials, has been released from detention, according to reports from US media. Mohsen Mahdawi, a holder of permanent US residency or 'green card' status, was taken into custody by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during an American citizenship interview in Vermont in mid-April. Mr. Mahdawi's legal representatives filed a petition for his release, claiming that his detention was unlawful. The US government contends that he was acting against US foreign policy. Luna Droubi, one of his attorneys, asserted that the arrest was 'a direct response to his advocacy for Palestinians and his identity as a Palestinian.'
Vermont District Judge Geoffrey Crawford has ordered the release of Mohsen Mahdawi on bail, pending a court decision regarding his habeas petition that contests his detention, as stated by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which is part of his legal team. The judge rejected a request from government attorneys to postpone his release for an additional seven days. In the statement, Ms. Droubi described the allegations against him as "unfounded" and a "disgrace to the US Constitution." She expressed her relief at Mr. Mahdawi's release and pledged to "continue fighting until Mohsen is permanently free." Mr. Mahdawi expressed gratitude to his supporters outside the courtroom, stating, "We are pro-peace and anti-war." He conveyed a message to his compatriots in Palestine, saying, "I feel your pain, I see your suffering; and I see freedom approaching very soon." Just a day prior to his arrest, Mr. Mahdawi had informed CBS News, the BBC's US affiliate, that 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," Mr. Mahdawi remarked. "And the other feeling is like, wait a minute. Is this a honey trap?" Several notable politicians, including independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, have publicly supported Mr. Mahdawi and advocated for his release. US authorities have detained numerous students and alumni involved in the anti-war protest movement, including Mahmoud Khalil from Columbia University and Rumeysa Ozturk from Tufts University.
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