Victory for Free Speech: Judge Blocks Deportation of Columbia Student

A U.S. immigration judge has denied the Trump administration's bid to deport Columbia University student Mohsen Mahdawi, who was arrested last year at a pro-Palestinian protest. His lawyers have revealed the court's decision, which was filed in a federal appeals court in New York following a ruling that had released Mahdawi from detention.

This case is part of a broader initiative by Trump's government to detain and deport non-citizen students for engaging in activism critical of Israel. Massachusetts-based Immigration Judge Nina Froes concluded that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security failed to substantiate its removal case, relying on an unverified document by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Mahdawi stated this decision supports the right to speak for peace and justice.

The Department of Homeland Security has not commented; however, it could appeal the decision to the Board of Immigration Appeals. Mahdawi, originally from a West Bank refugee camp, was arrested in April 2025 before his U.S. citizenship interview. Released after two weeks, federal legal decisions continue to question the administration's policies on detaining non-citizen academics.