Palestinian Columbia University student detained by ICE during citizenship ceremony

A second Palestinian student at Columbia University was picked up and placed into detention by immigration agents on Monday during his naturalisation ceremony.

Mohsen Mahdawi, a green card holder who moved from the occupied West Bank to the US ten years ago, was at the US immigration services offices in Colchester, Vermont, when he was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, The Intercept reported.

Mahdawi is being targeted for his pro-Palestine activism on campus despite the fact that he has not been active since the spring of 2024.

On Monday, Mahdawi's lawyers filed a habeas corpus petition challenging the legality of his detention. They say the government has violated his statutory and due process rights by punishing him for speech related to Israel and Palestine.

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