Palestinian Activist Graduates from Columbia Following ICE Detention
(MENAFN) Palestinian activist Mohsen Mahdawi, who was recently freed from U.S. immigration custody, reached a major personal achievement on Monday as he graduated from Columbia University. A permanent U.S. resident, Mahdawi was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on April 14 during a citizenship interview, part of a broader federal effort targeting student protesters. His release was secured on April 30 after a federal judge in Vermont ordered it.
Students erupted in applause as Mahdawi, wearing a traditional keffiyeh, walked across the commencement stage. He received his bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Columbia’s School of General Studies. After the ceremony, he joined a vigil outside the campus, where he displayed a photo of his fellow student, Mahmoud Khalil, who is still being held by federal authorities.
"Nor the Trump administration, nor Columbia University, nor any power in this world will stop us from being and continuing to be humans,” Mahdawi declared to supporters.
His arrest was linked to a series of executive directives initiated under President Donald Trump, which targeted the removal of non-citizens seen as critical of the U.S., particularly those connected to pro-Palestinian activism. These actions included measures against what Trump described as antisemitism, resulting in the deportation of some international students who had participated in related demonstrations.
A letter attributed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly advocated for Mahdawi’s removal from the U.S., accusing him of using inflammatory language toward pro-Israel individuals at protests. Nonetheless, a media footage from November 2023 appears to show Mahdawi confronting an individual making antisemitic remarks, rather than endorsing them. Mahdawi has not faced any criminal convictions.
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