Columbia Protest Leader Mohsen Mahdawi Released After Judge Rejects Threat Claim

Mohsen Mahdawi, the student activist who became the face of Columbia University라이브 바카라 pro-Palestine protests, was released from federal custody on Wednesday after a judge ruled there was no evidence he posed a threat to public safety or was likely to flee.

Federal Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford granted Mahdawi라이브 바카라 release, drawing a stark comparison between his case and the McCarthy-era prosecutions of the 1950s. "It was not our proudest moment," the judge noted, in a rebuke to the political overtones surrounding Mahdawi라이브 바카라 detention, according to The New York Times.

Mahdawi had been held since April 14, 2025, after immigration officials abruptly detained him during a scheduled appointment in Colchester, Vermont. The 34-year-old Palestinian student with permanent residency status had participated in a wave of pro-Palestine demonstrations that erupted at Columbia and rippled across several U.S. campuses last year.

The government라이브 바카라 attempt to revoke his green card came amid heightened scrutiny of pro-Palestinian activism, with the Trump administration publicly condemning what it labeled as “extremist rhetoric” on campuses. Mahdawi, however, had been advocating for “a dialogue of understanding” with Israeli students, a stance that drew ire from multiple quarters, both critics of his activism and fellow protesters.

Following his release, Mahdawi stood outside the Vermont courtroom flanked by supporters and legal counsel. “I am saying it clear and loud to President Trump and his Cabinet: I am not afraid of you,” he declared, vowing to continue speaking out for Palestinian rights.

His legal team had swiftly filed a temporary restraining order after his detention, preventing authorities from transferring him to a jurisdiction perceived to be less favorable, as reported by The New York Times.