Pro-Palestinian Columbia student arrested during US citizenship process

A Palestinian student at Columbia University was arrested in Vermont by US federal agents - right in the middle of a meeting that was supposed to finalise his path to American citizenship.

Mohsen Mahdawi, a green card holder originally from a refugee camp in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, has been active on campus in supporting Palestinian rights.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement have now begun the process to deport him to the occupied West Bank.

A legal team representing Mahdawi submitted a habeas corpus petition on Monday, pushing back against what they argue is an unlawful detention.

They say the Trump administration is punishing Mahdawi for his views on Palestine and Israel - views that, they say, fall squarely within his right to free expression.