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Concerns arose for Mohsen Mahdawi regarding his naturalization appointment with US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), culminating in his arrest. A week prior to the scheduled meeting, Mahdawi confided in his friend, Chris Helali, expressing apprehension about the potential outcome. “He anticipated – and I concurred – that detention was probable, that they might set a trap for him at this interview,” Helali recounted. Mahdawi’s fear of being taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had reportedly led him to remain in seclusion for several weeks. However, abstaining from the appointment was not an option, as USCIS policy dictates that “failure to appear for a scheduled interview” almost invariably “results in denial” of an individual’s application for citizenship.
Unexpected Arrest During USCIS Interview
The interview was set for 11:00 AM on April 14th. Helali waited in anticipation outside the building. “We began to suspect something was wrong,” Helali stated, as time passed. Around midday, the group received confirmation that Mahdawi had been placed in handcuffs. Subsequently, just three minutes later, he was led out of the premises by two officers from the Department of Homeland Security. Helali captured the arrest, initially reported by The Intercept, on video.
Unusual Circumstances Surrounding Detention
While not unprecedented, it is uncommon for immigrants to be arrested during USCIS interviews. Immigration attorney Matt Cameron, based in Boston, noted such incidents have occurred with a few of his clients, but “always due to prior immigration violations or criminal history rendering them deportable.” Mahdawi’s legal representatives assert he possesses no criminal record and is a “devout Buddhist” who “embraces non-violence and empathy as core tenets of his faith.” He does not appear to have infringed upon immigration law. However, Mahdawi, a West Bank native, participated in student demonstrations at Columbia University protesting against the ongoing conflict in Gaza. He was aware of the Trump administration’s initiatives to deport non-citizens – even lawful permanent residents and visa holders – for involvement in pro-Palestine activism, invoking a controversial McCarthy-era immigration statute.
Targeted for Pro-Palestine Activism?
“He recognized he was a potential target,” Helali explained. For him, the arrest was “jarring,” not for its unexpectedness, but because it evoked a sense that “the rule of law we often discuss is more fragile and less fundamental than we assume.” The most striking aspect, however, was Mahdawi’s apparent composure. “Mohsen exudes a calming presence,” Helali remarked. “He departed like a Buddhist: peacefully, calmly, and serenely.”
In the video recorded by Helali, Mahdawi maintains his composure as he exits the USCIS facility, flanked by agents from ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations division. In handcuffs, Mahdawi raised two peace signs towards the camera, remaining silent as agents escorted him into an unmarked vehicle and drove away. Unlike other videos depicting ICE arrests where individuals appear bewildered or frightened upon being approached by plainclothes officers and informed of their arrest, Mahdawi immediately grasped the situation. He had foreseen this possibility even before entering the building.
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Right-Wing Groups and Deportation Lists
In a habeas corpus petition submitted shortly after Mahdawi’s detention, his lawyers stated that ten days following Trump’s inauguration, the far-right Zionist organization Betar US posted about Mahdawi on X, designating him as “on our deport list.” In a March Instagram post, Canary Mission, another right-wing entity, alleged Mahdawi had “justified Hamas terrorism.”
‘Mr. Mahdawi was always willing to engage in dialogue with people whose views and beliefs differed from his own.’
Claims of Anti-Israel Advocacy and Short Lists for Deportation
Both Betar and Canary Mission have asserted they are providing lists of foreign students involved in anti-Israel advocacy to the Trump administration, which has equated opposition to Israel’s policies toward Palestinians with broad antisemitism. Canary Mission introduced an “Uncovering Foreign Nationals” section to its website in late March, identifying foreign students the group desires Trump to deport. That same month, Betar reportedly claimed it had “reason to believe” that Mahdawi and Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha were “on the short list of those who will shortly be deported.”
Legal Challenges and Restraining Order
Reports of other students arrested by ICE – including Columbia graduate student Mahmoud Khalil and Tufts University PhD candidate Rumeysa Ozturk – provided Mahdawi’s attorneys with time to prepare for his potential apprehension. Legal counsel filed a habeas petition mere hours after the arrest, requesting not only Mahdawi’s release on bond but also preventing his removal from the country or the state of Vermont.
Khalil and Ozturk were transferred to ICE detention centers in Louisiana, remaining incarcerated far from their legal representatives and families – within jurisdictions considered favorable to the Trump administration. On Monday, a federal judge in Vermont granted a temporary restraining order, temporarily preventing DHS from deporting Mahdawi. The order also prohibited ICE from transferring him out of Vermont.
Executive Order and Campus Anti-Semitism
Similar to others arrested by ICE for their pro-Palestine activism, Mahdawi is likely being targeted for statements that would incur no legal repercussions if he were a US citizen. Under Trump’s “Executive Order 14188—Additional Measures To Combat Anti-Semitism,” government agencies were directed to devise strategies to “Combat Campus Anti-Semitism.” For DHS, this has translated into arresting students involved in pro-Palestine advocacy.
Disputed Allegations and Continued Detention
In a State Department memo acquired by the New York Times, Secretary of State Marco Rubio asserted, without substantiation, that Mahdawi had “engaged in threatening rhetoric and intimidation of pro-Israeli bystanders.” Mahdawi’s lawyers have refuted Rubio’s claim.
Mahdawi remains in detention. Advocates are urging his release, emphasizing his public condemnation of both antisemitism and Israel’s treatment of Palestinians – a point also highlighted in his habeas petition. “Mr. Mahdawi was always willing to engage in dialogue with people whose views and beliefs differed from his own,” the petition states. The Intercept reported that in December 2023, Mahdawi met for coffee with Shai Davidai, a Columbia professor and outspoken supporter of Israel who is now reportedly celebrating his arrest.
Dialogue with Israeli Students
Around the same period as his meeting with Davidai, Mahdawi initiated discussions with a group of Israeli students at Columbia.
“His compassion profoundly impressed me,” Roni Ziv, one of the Israeli students involved in the meetings, told Haaretz. “Particularly in the US, where individuals on the left often adopt an ‘anti-normalization’ stance – he did not. My military service was not a barrier for him. That is uncommon.”
A “Bridge-Builder”
Helali characterizes Mahdawi as a “bridge-builder.” “[Mahdawi] is deeply committed to reconciliation,” he concludes.