The Palestinian Columbia University student who was arrested by ICE after leading anti-Israel protests on campus was set free on Wednesday.
Mohsen Mahdawi, 34, was released from custody following an order from US District Judge Geoffrey Crawford, with the defiant protester sending a message to President Trump and his administration immediately after his release.
“I am saying it clear and loud to President Trump and his Cabinet: I am not afraid of you,” Mahdawi said outside the Vermont courtroom.
Mahdawi, a legal permanent resident for 10 years, was arrested on April 14 during an interview about finalizing his US citizenship.
The government argued that Mahdawi’s detention at the Northwest State Correctional Facility, in St. Albans, was a “constitutionally valid aspect of the deportation process.”
The State Department insisted the West Bank-born Mahdawi is removable under the Immigration and Nationality Act, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio claiming the protester’s presence and activities “would have serious adverse foreign policy consequences and would compromise a compelling U.S. foreign policy interest.”
The State Department ultimately accused Mahdawi of engaging in “threatening rhetoric and intimidation” against Jewish students during the protests at Columbia.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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