Columbia Anti-Israel Protest Leader Detained by US Immigration

Tensions surrounding campus extremism took a dramatic turn this week as US immigration authorities detained Mohsen Mahdawi, a Columbia University student originally from the West Bank, and a prominent leader in the university’s anti-Israel protest movement.

Mahdawi, a legal permanent US resident since 2015, was arrested in Vermont while attending a citizenship-related immigration appointment. His detention follows the recent arrest of fellow Columbia protest leader Mahmoud Khalil, signaling a wider crackdown on foreign student activists whose rhetoric and actions have drawn national concern.

Federal Judge William K. Sessions III ordered that Mahdawi not be removed from Vermont or the US pending further court proceedings. His legal team is currently challenging the detention in a Vermont federal court.

Mahdawi co-founded the Columbia Palestinian Student Union alongside Khalil and has been active in Students for Justice in Palestine and Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD) a coalition that has come under fire for promoting hostile, inflammatory, and often violent rhetoric against Jewish students and the State of Israel.

CUAD's record includes encampments, building seizures, and calls for “violence against Zionists.” The group has disseminated Hamas-affiliated materials and supported the “eradication of western civilization” rhetoric that has raised alarm among Jewish organizations and national security officials alike.

The recent detentions are part of a broader federal initiative to investigate and, when warranted, remove non-citizens involved in organizing protests linked to hate speech or threats to public order. Several foreign students, particularly those associated with Columbia and its affiliates, have reportedly had their visas revoked or been deported in recent months.

While critics have raised concerns over civil liberties, the crackdown has received support from those who view the rise of antisemitic rhetoric on campuses as not only dangerous but intolerable in a post-October 7 world.

Israel’s supporters across the globe are watching closely as universities confront the consequences of allowing hate-fueled activism to fester unchecked. This case marks yet another moment where freedom and accountability meet and Israel’s defenders will continue to speak out when the line is crossed.

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