Columbia Protests Organizer Faces Deportation Amid National Security Concerns
In a case drawing national attention, federal immigration authorities have detained Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian national and lawful U.S. permanent resident, for allegedly violating the terms of his residency. His arrest follows months of involvement in organizing pro-Hamas protests at Columbia University that escalated into major campus disruptions and raised security concerns.
Detained During Naturalization Interview
On April 14, 2025, Mahdawi arrived at a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office in Colchester, Vermont, expecting to complete a routine naturalization interview. Instead, he was taken into federal custody and placed into deportation proceedings. According to sources familiar with the case, Mahdawi is facing removal based on actions that authorities claim constitute violations of both university policy and immigration law.
The Man Behind the Protests
Mahdawi co-founded the Palestinian Student Union at Columbia University and played a key role in orchestrating aggressive demonstrations on campus. The protests, framed by some activists as peaceful advocacy, reportedly involved the occupation of university buildings, intimidation of Jewish students, and physical barriers that disrupted classes and denied access to university spaces.
Campus authorities ultimately suspended in-person classes and called law enforcement to regain control. More than 100 individuals were arrested during the protests. Mahdawi’s co-founder, Mahmoud Khalil—also a Palestinian national and U.S. permanent resident—was recently ordered deported by an immigration judge in Louisiana for posing a national security threat.
A Pattern of Extremism
Organizations such as Canary Mission, which track anti-Semitic and anti-U.S. activities on college campuses, have documented Mahdawi’s history of supporting extremist ideologies. Following Hamas’s October 7 terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians, Mahdawi reportedly praised the group’s actions and called for the destruction of Israel.
Hamas, designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. Department of State, is responsible for over 1,200 deaths in that attack, including mass atrocities. Mahdawi has previously praised convicted Palestinian terrorists and maintained affiliations with extremist student organizations such as Within Our Lifetime (WOL) and Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP). He has also served as co-president of DAR Palestine, a Columbia-based group that openly supported a pro-Hamas encampment on campus in April 2024.
Legal and National Security Implications
While some media outlets have framed Mahdawi’s arrest as politically motivated, federal authorities argue that it is rooted in clear legal precedent. Under U.S. immigration law, lawful permanent residents may face deportation if they engage in criminal or violent conduct or otherwise violate the terms of their residency.
Although a trial is not legally required to deport a permanent resident for such violations, Mahdawi’s legal team has accused the federal government of denying him due process. Nevertheless, legal experts emphasize that organizing disruptive protests, obstructing public operations, and engaging in hate-based conduct can legally warrant removal under long-standing immigration policy.
Upholding Law and Order
This case highlights a growing tension in American immigration policy: how to balance civil liberties with the imperative to maintain public order and national security. The Biden-era lax enforcement has been replaced under the Trump administration by a stricter stance on foreign nationals engaged in radical activism.
In the view of federal officials, Mahdawi’s behavior crossed a legal line.
“Free speech is protected,” one senior immigration official noted, “but violence, intimidation, and disruption are not.”
As the deportation proceedings continue, Mahdawi’s case will likely serve as a litmus test for the future of immigration enforcement on U.S. campuses—and whether institutions will continue to allow foreign residents to promote extremist ideologies without legal consequences.