Mohsen Mahdawi, who had a green card and was detained by ICE as a result of Mahmoud Khalil’s imprisonment, was the second Arab student at Columbia to have a green card. In the fall of 2023, Mahdawi and Khalil co-founded the Arab Learner Union at Columbia. Mahdawi’s imprisonment is one of the most remarkable that ICE has yet to pull off as he was detained from a Vermont immigration office where he was scheduled to meet with officials to obtain his US citizenship.
Instead, he was detained, causing Mahdawi to appear to have entered a pit on his own during the citizen interview. Armed, police officers with their heads covered and handcuffed Mahdawi were present.
This is unlawful, cruel, and impolite. Lawmakers Bernie Sanders, Peter Welch, and Rep. Becca Balint, two members of Vermont’s congressional delegation, said in their joint statement that” Mr. Mahdawi, a legal resident of the United States, deserves to be given due process under the laws and soon released from detention.”
Mahdawi, who was born in a West Bank refugee camp, has officially resided in the US for ten years. His household lives in the West Bank. He first started the process of becoming a citizen in 2024, and the meeting that led to his arrest was his final attempt to become a citizen of the United States. Mahdawi intends to participate in a mentor system in the fall.
” Threat to American foreign scheme”
The Trump administration cited the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965’s foreign policy law, which allows the Secretary of State to revoke a person’s continuous citizenship if they are deemed to be a threat to American foreign plan.
Also permanent residents can be removed, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. ” Visiting America is not a right. Those who uphold our laws and values have a right to this. And I’ll never forget that as the Secretary of State,” Rubio asserted in a part on Fox News.
” US visa recipients should be aware that the US government’s comprehensive security screening does not stop when a card is granted,” he continued.
