Lawyer for detained Palestinian activist says client is relieved he hasn't been moved from Vermont

CONCORD, N.H. – A Palestinian antheral arrested astatine a Vermont migration office during an interrogation astir finalizing his U.S. citizenship is relieved that helium hasn't been moved retired of authorities and thankful for those supporting him, his lawyer said Tuesday.

Mohsen Mahdawi, a ineligible imperishable nonmigratory who led protests against the war successful Gaza astatine Columbia University, was arrested Monday successful Colchester, Vermont. A justice aboriginal issued an bid barring the authorities from removing him from the authorities oregon country, and 1 of Mahdawi's attorneys confirmed Tuesday day that helium remains successful Vermont.

Attorney Luna Droubi said attorneys person connected with Mahdawi, though they person not received immoderate accusation astir wherefore helium was detained.

“He believes successful bid and unity contempt having witnessed atrocities galore of america cannot comprehend,” she said successful an email. “His detention that appears to beryllium based connected defamatory statements by non-governmental actors and opponents of Palestinian quality rights should outrage america all.”

According to the tribunal filing, Mahdawi was calved successful a exile campy successful the West Bank and moved to the United States successful 2014. He precocious completed coursework astatine Columbia and was expected to postgraduate successful May earlier opening a master’s grade programme determination successful the fall.

As a student, Mahdawi was an outspoken professional of Israel’s subject campaign successful Gaza and organized field protests until March 2024. He co-founded the Palestinian Student Union astatine Columbia with Mahmoud Khalil, different Palestinian imperishable nonmigratory of the U.S. and postgraduate pupil who was precocious detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Khalil was the archetypal idiosyncratic arrested nether President Donald Trump’s promised crackdown connected students who joined field protests against the warfare successful Gaza. On Friday, an migration justice successful Louisiana ruled that Khalil can beryllium deported arsenic a nationalist information risk.

The time earlier his arrest, Mahdawi told CBS News that immoderate allegation that the pro-Palestinian question astatine Columbia was anti-Semitic was false.

“I privation radical to cognize that the enactment and the activism that we person done was centered successful the vigor of love,” helium said.“I privation radical to cognize that my compassion extended beyond the Palestinian people. My compassion is besides for the Jewish radical and for the Israelis arsenic well.”

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