US reinstates deportation proceedings against Palestinian green-card holder student
The US Board of Immigration Appeals has reinstated deportation proceedings against Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian green-card holder who helped lead anti-war protests at Columbia University last year, his legal team have said.
Mahdawi, who has permanent US residency or "green card" status, was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when he attended an American citizenship interview in Vermont in mid-April last year.
"The government continues to weaponize the immigration system to silence dissent," Mahdawi said in a statement shared by his legal team on Wednesday.
The 34-year-old, who was studying for a master's degree at Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs, was detained by ICE agents following his participation in campus protests against Israel's war on Gaza. He was released two weeks after his detention, but the deportation proceedings remained in place.
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Columbia University student Mohsen Mahdawi poses for a portrait inside Havemeyer Hall on the Columbia campus in New York City, 18 May 2025 (Reuters)