Appeals court overturns ruling releasing ex-Columbia student activist from ICE detention

Arya Sundaram

Published Jul 21, 2026

Modified Jul 21, 2026

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Columbia University graduate and Palestinian activist Mohsen Mahdawi, who has been targeted for deportation by the Trump administration.

Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images

Arya Sundaram

Published Jul 21, 2026

Modified Jul 21, 2026

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A federal appeals court on Tuesday overturned a lower court’s ruling last year that released Columbia University graduate and pro-Palestinian activist Mohsen Mahdawi from immigration detention.

The New York City-based 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the U.S. district judge in Vermont who ordered Mahdawi's release in April 2025 did not have jurisdiction in the case, which it said should have been handled in immigration court. The appeals court ordered the district judge to dismiss Mahdawi’s lawsuit challenging his detention.

Mahdawi, 35, a Palestinian-born lawful U.S. permanent resident for over a decade, said in a statement the decision was a “grave setback” for constitutional freedoms. He added: “I am confident justice will ultimately prevail.”

Spokespeople for the Trump administration did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Mahdawi was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents during a citizenship interview in Vermont, where he lives.

Trump administration officials justified his arrest by claiming his pro-Palestinian activism could undermine peacemaking deals in the Middle East; Mahdawi and his supporters have said he is among a large cadre of current and former university students targeted for protected speech, in violation of the First Amendment.

“The government is claiming the unprecedented power to detain people for months or even years on end to censor their speech, with no ability to challenge their detention in court,” Michael Tan, deputy director of the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project and one of Mahdawi’s lawyers, said in a statement. “This is as absurd as it is dangerous."

Friends and associates of Mahdawi, who was active in Buddhist affairs on campus, said he was committed bringing together a broad-based coalition of advocates for peace in both Israel and Gaza, even as some other pro-Palestinian student protesters grew more radical.

This story has been updated with additional comment.

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columbia university

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