US appeals court overturns ruling that freed Columbia activist Mahdawi

A United States appeals court on Tuesday overturned a lower court ruling that had ordered the release of Columbia University activist Mohsen Mahdawi from immigration detention, delivering the latest legal victory for President Donald Trump’s administration in its effort to deport pro-Palestinian student protesters.

In 2025, US District Judge Geoffrey Crawford had ordered Mahdawi’s release, ruling that he enjoyed the same free speech rights as US citizens and accusing the Trump administration of causing “great harm” to someone who had committed no crime. The appeals court reversed that decision.

Mahdawi, a lawful permanent resident born in the occupied West Bank, was arrested in April 2025 after attending what he believed was an interview related to his US citizenship application. He was detained for two weeks and charged with no crime.

In May, the Board of Immigration Appeals reinstated deportation proceedings after overturning a February decision by immigration judge Nina Froes, who had blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to deport Mahdawi. Froes ruled that the government failed to meet its burden of proof and dismissed key evidence as inadmissible. She was later fired by the Trump administration.

In a statement after the May ruling, Mahdawi accused the Trump administration of weaponizing the immigration system to silence his political views, saying the government was trying to punish him for peaceful advocacy for Palestinian rights.

Mahdawi’s case has become one of the most closely watched challenges to Trump’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian campus activism. The administration argues that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has authority under federal immigration law to seek deportation of non-citizens whose presence could have “adverse foreign policy consequences.” Human rights lawyers argue that the government is retaliating against constitutionally protected speech.