By Auditi Guha/VTDigger
Masked men in plainclothes detained an Upper Valley resident in Colchester during a scheduled citizenship interview Monday morning, April 14, despite his status as a lawful U.S. permanent resident.
Mohsen Mahdawi’s lawyers filed a petition Monday alleging unlawful detention in the U.S. District Court in Vermont. Judge William Sessions III then issued a temporary restraining order saying Mahdawi cannot be removed from Vermont or the U.S. pending further orders from the court.
Mahdawi, 34, is believed to be detained at the Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans as of Monday evening.
“The Trump administration detained Mohsen Mahdawi in direct retaliation for his advocacy on behalf of Palestinians and because of his identity as a Palestinian,” said Luna Droubi, one of his attorneys, via email. “His detention is an attempt to silence those who speak out against the atrocities in Gaza. It is also unconstitutional.”
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), and Representative Becca Balint (D-Vermont) released a statement immediately after the incident, saying: “Earlier today, Mohsen Mahdawi of White River Junction, Vermont, walked into an immigration office for what was supposed to be the final step in his citizenship process. Instead, he was arrested and removed in handcuffs by plainclothes, armed, individuals with their faces covered. These individuals refused to provide any information as to where he was being taken or what would happen to him. This is immoral, inhumane, and illegal. Mr. Mahdawi, a legal resident of the United States, must be afforded due process under the law and immediately released from detention.”
Born and raised in a refugee camp on the West Bank, Mahdawi was an activist and organizer of student protests at Columbia University while he studied philosophy there. Until March 2024, he was “an outspoken critic of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza,” according to court documents, but has taken a step back from organizing since.
Mahwadi, who owns a cabin in West Fairlee, currently lives in New York City and plans to start a master’s program at Columbia this fall, according to his lawyers. He has been a lawful permanent resident of the U.S. for 10 years.
A familiar face at various meetings and protests, those who know him in Vermont said he is a pacifist who is willing to talk to people from all sides.
“He’s always been a very peaceful man. He’s always been a bridge builder,” said friend and neighbor Christopher Helali, who shot a video of Mahdawi being detained in Colchester Monday morning, calling the event “horrific” and an “absolute injustice.”
“He’s a green card holder. He’s lawfully here. He did everything by the book. He never advocated for violence. In fact, he’s always advocated for peace and for dialog and reconciliation,” said Helali, who lives in Vershire and was elected high bailiff in Orange County last November.
He said he believes his friend was targeted because he spoke out against the crimes committed by Israel against Palestinians in Gaza and in the West Bank.
Both from the Middle East, Helali said the two have been friends for years. So he didn’t hesitate when Mahdawi asked him to accompany him to his Monday citizenship appointment.
Helali and Sen. Becca White, D-Windsor, were among the people present at the field office of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services at 463 Mountain View Drive to support Mahdawi during what was supposed to be a routine citizenship interview at 11 a.m.
Instead, they said they saw a handcuffed Mahdawi, accompanied by several plainclothes, masked and hooded men, put into an unmarked black vehicle just after noon.
“I tried to connect with the officers, or whoever they were,” Sen. White said. “They wouldn’t give me information. They wouldn’t tell me who they were. They wouldn’t give me any IDs.”
She estimated there were at least six cars and about 10 men there. White subsequently posted videos from the incident outside the USCIS office.
The videos show Mahdawi wearing a grey suit and making the peace sign with both hands before being put into a black Nissan with green Vermont license plates.
As they awaited further information, Sen. White said she was shocked this happened in Vermont, to a resident she described as a kind human and a peaceful protester.
“What I learned today is Vermont is not safe,” White said. “This happened here in Colchester, Vermont, with an Upper Valley resident, a young man who has been deeply ingrained in our community. And it is just so clear that if he can be taken, anyone can be taken.”
Mahdawi’s detainment comes about a month after Mahmoud Khalil — another Palestinian, Columbia University student and legal permanent resident — was arrested March 8, supposedly for participating in “antisemitic protests and disruptive activities,” as NPR reported. Khalil’s lawyers have disputed the charge, arguing that criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza and U.S. support should not be equated with antisemitism.
Mahdawi and Khalil reportedly started an organization called Palestinian Student Union at Columbia and both helped organize pro-Palestinian activities on campus.
Khalil’s arrest was the first after President Donald Trump promised to crack down on student protests on campus and any action he deems as “pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s recent use of an obscure statute from the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, which authorizes Rubio to deport anyone he believes is a threat to the country, as the AP has reported, coupled with Mahdawi’s and Khalil’s cases, indicate that immigration authorities are targeting pro-Palestine student activists in the U.S. for deportation, even when they are legal residents.
In their court filing Monday, April 14, Mahdawi’s lawyers wrote, “The government has made clear that it intends to retaliate and punish individuals such as Mr. Mahdawi who advocated for ceasefire and ending the bloodshed in Gaza.”
They further noted that the actions “plainly violate the First Amendment, which protects Mr. Mahdawi’s right to speak on matters of public concern and prevents the government from chilling constitutionally-protected speech.”
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.
