The student arrested at his naturalization interview knew it was coming
1 min read
Summary
Mohsen Mahdawi, an activist and student at Columbia University who is originally from the West Bank, knew he was likely to be arrested by ICE during his naturalisation interview with the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and was.
Although it’s not unheard of for immigrants to be arrested during USCIS interviews, it is unusual, and Mahdawi’s arrest is thought to be related to his pro-Palestine activism.
Columbia graduate student Mahmoud Khalil and Tufts University PhD candidate Rumeysa Ozturk were arrested by ICE for their pro-Palestine activism and are now being held in detention facilities in Louisiana.
Mahdawi has been detained, but a federal judge in Vermont has issued a temporary restraining order to prevent his deportation.
Advocates are calling for his release as he has spoken out against both antisemitism and Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.