Judge Blocks Deportation of Columbia Student Amidst Free Speech Concerns

An immigration judge in the United States has denied President Donald Trump's administration's attempts to deport Columbia University student Mohsen Mahdawi. Arrested last year after participating in pro-Palestinian protests, Mahdawi's case was part of a broader strategy targeting non-citizen students engaged in campus activism.

The judge cited insufficient evidence from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which used an unauthenticated document for its case. Mahdawi expressed relief, emphasizing the importance of free speech. The administration can still challenge the decision, according to the Department of Justice's Board of Immigration Appeals.

This decision comes amidst allegations of the administration's unlawful policy to detain and deport students like Mahdawi. A similar case involved a Tufts University student, with a federal judge in Boston deeming the policy an attack on academic freedom. The Department of Justice is appealing that ruling.