US appeals court overturns ruling that freed Columbia activist Mahdawi
A US appeals court has overturned a lower court ruling that freed Columbia University activist Mohsen Mahdawi from immigration detention. The decision represents another legal victory for the Trump administration's campaign to deport foreign student protesters engaged in pro-Palestinian activism. Mahdawi, a lawful permanent resident from the occupied West Bank, remains in deportation proceedings.
A United States appeals court has reversed a previous decision that had ordered the release of Mohsen Mahdawi, a Columbia University activist detained on immigration grounds. The reversal marks another legal success for the Trump administration's broader effort to deport foreign nationals participating in pro-Palestinian student protests.
The appeals court overturned a 2025 ruling by US District Judge Geoffrey Crawford, who had determined that Mahdawi possessed the same free speech protections afforded to American citizens and criticized the Trump administration for causing harm to an individual who had committed no crime. Mahdawi had been arrested in April 2025 after attending what he believed was an interview related to his citizenship application and was held for two weeks without charges.
The case has undergone multiple reversals within the immigration system. An immigration judge initially blocked the deportation attempt, but the Board of Immigration Appeals reinstated proceedings in May after overturning that decision. The immigration judge who ruled in Mahdawi's favor was subsequently dismissed by the Trump administration.
Mahdawi, described as a stateless Palestinian refugee from the occupied West Bank and a lawful permanent resident, has characterized the government's actions as weaponization of the immigration system to suppress his political advocacy. He has stated that the administration is targeting him for his peaceful advocacy regarding Palestinian rights and human dignity.
The Trump administration has asserted that the Secretary of State possesses authority under federal immigration law to pursue deportation of non-citizens whose presence could carry adverse foreign policy implications. Human rights lawyers counter that such actions constitute retaliation against constitutionally protected speech. Mahdawi's case has become a closely monitored test of the administration's crackdown on campus activism, which has included threats to university funding and examination of online speech.
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