By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

A US immigration judge has rejected an effort by the administration of President Donald Trump to deport Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian student at Columbia University who was arrested over his participation in protests related to the war in Gaza. The ruling, disclosed in federal court filings submitted by his legal team, represents a significant legal setback to attempts to remove foreign-born pro-Palestinian student activists from the country.

Key Developments

• A US immigration judge ruled against deporting Columbia student Mohsen Mahdawi.
• The decision was issued without prejudice, allowing authorities to reopen the case.
• Mahdawi is a lawful permanent resident raised in a West Bank refugee camp.
• His arrest was linked by rights groups to his pro-Palestinian activism on campus.
• The case is part of a broader crackdown on student protest movements.

Legal Ruling Challenges Deportation Effort

Court filings submitted to a federal appeals court in New York revealed that an immigration judge decided on February 13 against the attempt to deport Mohsen Mahdawi, US media reported on Tuesday. 

The case stems from his arrest during a meeting arranged by authorities while he was pursuing US citizenship procedures. In a statement released through the American Civil Liberties Union, Mahdawi framed the ruling as a defense of constitutional protections.

“I am grateful to the court for honoring the rule of law and holding the line against the government’s attempts to trample on due process,” Mahdawi said in a statement.

🚨BREAKING: In a setback to the Trump administration’s efforts to deport Palestinian student activist Mohsen Mahdawi, an immigration judge has terminated removal proceedings against him, attorneys for Mahdawi announced today.

Mahdawi, a Columbia University student and green card… pic.twitter.com/SAIg3cS4BW

— Meghnad Bose (@MeghnadBose93) February 17, 2026

He added that the court had upheld the rule of law and resisted government efforts to undermine due process, describing the outcome as “an important step towards upholding what fear tried to destroy: the right to speak for peace and justice.”

However, the ruling was issued “without prejudice,” meaning authorities retain the option to pursue deportation again.

Mahdawi had previously been held in immigration custody before a federal judge ordered his release, criticizing officials for causing serious harm despite the absence of criminal charges.

Student Activism and Arrest

Mahdawi grew up in a Palestinian refugee camp in the occupied West Bank and has lived in Vermont for roughly a decade as a lawful permanent resident. At Columbia University, where he studied philosophy, he became active in campus organizing and helped establish a Palestinian student group alongside fellow student Mahmoud Khalil.

Columbia emerged as a major center of pro-Palestinian demonstrations in 2024. During his political campaign, Trump pledged to confront those protests, linking them to broader concerns about campus unrest.

Khalil was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement early in Trump’s second presidential term. Weeks later, Mahdawi was arrested at the citizenship-related meeting.

BREAKING: An immigration judge has *terminated* the Trump-Vance administration’s efforts to deport Columbia pro-Palestine student protestor Mohsen Mahdawi.

Mohsen was first detained 10 months ago, when agents ambushed him at a citizenship interview. pic.twitter.com/ByHHKOxj3z

— Prem Thakker (@prem_thakker) February 17, 2026

“Nearly a year ago, I was detained at my citizenship interview not for breaking the law but for speaking against the genocide of Palestinians, “ the student said in his statement.

Civil liberties advocates argued the detention was retaliatory and connected to his political expression. Authorities also attempted to transfer him to Louisiana, but a court order prevented the relocation. He was eventually released after judicial intervention.

“In a climate where dissent is increasingly met with intimidation and detention, today’s ruling renews hope that due process still applies and that no agency stands above the Constitution,” the statement also read.

According to Mahdawi, “this is not the end of the story. It is the beginning of a deeper commitment to peace, dignity, and justice; work I will continue, fearlessly and without apology.”

Upon leaving court, Mahdawi addressed supporters and the US president directly, stating he was not intimidated and emphasizing that the student movement sought peace rather than violence.

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Wider Policy

The case unfolded amid a broader effort by the administration to target visa holders and permanent residents involved in pro-Palestinian activism. Human rights advocates say the policy risks discouraging political expression.

The administration also pressured universities to curb demonstrations under the banner of combating antisemitism and launched civil rights investigations into institutions where protests were prominent.

Columbia University later reached a financial settlement with federal authorities to resolve a probe into allegations of religious discrimination, though it did not acknowledge wrongdoing.

(PC, US Media, ACLU, DW)