Immigration court rejects DHS bid as legal battle over student activism intensifies.
A US immigration judge has denied the Trump administration’s attempt to deport Mohsen Mahdawi, a Columbia University student who was arrested last year following participation in anti-Israel campus protests, according to court filings reported by Reuters.
Immigration Judge Nina Froes ruled that the Department of Homeland Security failed to meet its burden of proof demonstrating that Mahdawi was removable under immigration law.
The decision was detailed in a filing with a federal appeals court in New York, which is reviewing earlier proceedings related to Mahdawi’s detention and release.
Legal Dispute Over Evidence
US Department of Homeland Security had sought to justify deportation using a document reportedly signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. However, the court found the document unauthenticated and insufficient to support removal.
The administration may still challenge the ruling before the Board of Immigration Appeals, which operates under the US Department of Justice.
Arrest and Release Timeline
Mahdawi was detained in April 2025 when he arrived for an interview related to his US citizenship petition. A federal judge quickly ordered that he not be deported or transferred out of Vermont.
After approximately two weeks in detention, US District Judge Geoffrey Crawford ordered his release from the federal courthouse in Burlington.A US immigration judge has denied the Trump administration’s attempt to deport Mohsen Mahdawi, a Columbia University student who was arrested last year following participation in anti-Israel campus protests, according to court filings reported by Reuters.
Immigration Judge Nina Froes ruled that the Department of Homeland Security failed to meet its burden of proof demonstrating that Mahdawi was removable under immigration law.
The decision was detailed in a filing with a federal appeals court in New York, which is reviewing earlier proceedings related to Mahdawi’s detention and release.
Legal Dispute Over Evidence
US Department of Homeland Security had sought to justify deportation using a document reportedly signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. However, the court found the document unauthenticated and insufficient to support removal.
The administration may still challenge the ruling before the Board of Immigration Appeals, which operates under the US Department of Justice.
Arrest and Release Timeline
Mahdawi was detained in April 2025 when he arrived for an interview related to his US citizenship petition. A federal judge quickly ordered that he not be deported or transferred out of Vermont.
After approximately two weeks in detention, US District Judge Geoffrey Crawford ordered his release from the federal courthouse in Burlington.
The case is part of a broader series of legal disputes involving non-citizen students engaged in campus activism related to the war in Gaza.
In a similar matter, removal proceedings were terminated against Rumeysa Ozturk, a Tufts University doctoral student who had co-authored an editorial critical of her institution’s response to the conflict.
A federal judge in Boston recently ruled that a policy of detaining and deporting certain scholars was unlawful, stating it had a chilling effect on free speech among non-citizen academics. The Justice Department is appealing that ruling.
Ongoing Legal Battle
The administration maintains the authority to enforce immigration laws, while critics argue that such cases raise constitutional concerns regarding freedom of expression.
With appeals pending, the outcome may shape how immigration enforcement intersects with campus activism and speech protections in the United States.
