A Palestinian man who led protests against the war in Gaza as a student at Columbia University has been arrested at a Vermont immigration office where he expected to be interviewed about finalizing his U.S. citizenship.
Mohsen Mahdawi, a legal permanent resident who has held a green card since 2015, was detained Monday.
His attorneys, who have filed a petition in federal court seeking an order barring the government from removing him from the state or country, say they do not know where he is.
At Columbia, he organized campus protests of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza until March 2024.
He also co-founded the Palestinian Student Union with Mahmoud Khalil, another Palestinian permanent resident of the U.S. who recently was detained by ICE.
Christopher Helali, a friend of Mahdawi who lives near him in Vermont, was present outside the immigration office when Mahdawi was detained and recorded a video of Mahdawi being led away by authorities. In the video, which Helali released on social media Monday, Mahdawi is shown giving a peace sign with his hands and being led away to a car.
Helali described Mahdawi as a peaceful demonstrator who has worked to foster dialogue about the struggle of Palestinians in his homeland. Helali said he and Mahdawi were aware that Mahdawi could be detained today and that his friend went forward with the appointment anyway.
“We knew this interview for his naturalization that would have put him back in government proximity would have been the perfect opportunity for them to abduct him. And that's exactly what happened,” Helali said.
Vermont's congressional delegation issued a statement condemning Mahdawi's arrest, saying that instead of taking one of the final steps in his citizenship process, he was handcuffed by armed officers with their faces covered.
(AP)
