US appeals court overturns ruling that freed Columbia activist Mahdawi | Censorship News
Court Overturns Ruling on Immigration Detention of Activist
A United States appeals court has reversed a lower court decision that mandated the release of Columbia University activist Mohsen Mahdawi from immigration detention. This ruling is viewed as another legal victory for the administration of President Donald Trump, as it intensifies efforts to deport pro-Palestinian student protesters.
On Tuesday, the appeals court overturned a 2025 ruling by U.S. District Judge Geoffrey Crawford. The judge had ordered Mahdawi’s release, asserting that he possessed the same free speech rights as U.S. citizens and criticized the Trump administration for inflicting “great harm” on an individual who had committed no crime.
Mahdawi has been out of custody while contesting his deportation. In May, the Board of Immigration Appeals reinstated deportation proceedings after nullifying a February decision by immigration judge Nina Froes, who had blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to deport Mahdawi. Froes determined that the government had not met its burden of proof and dismissed crucial evidence as inadmissible. She was subsequently dismissed from her position by the Trump administration.
Born in the occupied West Bank, Mahdawi is a lawful permanent resident. He was arrested in April 2025 during what he believed was an interview pertaining to his U.S. citizenship application. He spent two weeks in detention without being charged with any crime.
Following the reinstatement of deportation proceedings in May, Mahdawi accused the Trump administration of weaponizing immigration policy to silence his political advocacy. “The government is trying to punish and deport me, a stateless Palestinian refugee from the occupied West Bank, because it opposes my peaceful advocacy for human dignity and equal rights for Palestinians,” he stated. “But I remain unafraid and faithful that justice will prevail in America and in Palestine.”
Mahdawi’s case has drawn significant attention as one of the foremost challenges to Trump’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian activism on college campuses. This approach has included efforts to deport foreign protesters, threats to freeze funding for universities with protest activities, and increased scrutiny of online speech.
The administration has argued that Secretary of State Marco Rubio holds the authority under federal immigration law to seek the deportation of non-citizens whose presence may have “adverse foreign policy consequences” for the U.S. However, human rights advocates contend that the government is retaliating against constitutionally protected speech.
