NEW YORK — A federal immigration court has halted deportation proceedings against Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian graduate student who organized demonstrations at Columbia University opposing Israel and the conflict in Gaza.
Immigration Judge Nina Froes dismissed the case on Tuesday after discovering that federal prosecutors made a critical error in handling evidence. The government lawyers submitted a photocopied document without the required legal certification, violating federal procedures.
The decision represents another obstacle for the Trump administration’s broad campaign to remove pro-Palestinian campus organizers and other critics of Israeli policy from the United States. Federal officials retain the option to challenge the court’s decision.
Earlier this year, immigration authorities faced a similar defeat when another judge prevented the deportation of Rümeysa Öztürk, a graduate student at Tufts University who had written an editorial piece condemning her school’s handling of the Gaza situation.
Mahdawi has maintained legal permanent residency status in America for ten years after being born in a refugee settlement within the Israeli-controlled West Bank territory. Immigration officers detained him during a naturalization appointment last April, though a federal court ordered his release after two weeks.
Federal authorities have persisted in their removal efforts, referencing a policy statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio that allows for expelling non-citizens whose activities could potentially conflict with American diplomatic objectives.
However, prosecutors presented only an uncertified photocopy of this directive to the immigration court, failing to meet mandatory documentation standards established by federal regulations.
“I am grateful to the court for honoring the rule of law and holding the line against the government’s attempts to trample on due process,” Mahdawi said in a statement released by his attorneys. “This decision is an important step towards upholding what fear tried to destroy: the right to speak for peace and justice.”
Mahdawi’s legal team has simultaneously filed a separate lawsuit in federal district court challenging the lawfulness of his initial detention. Those proceedings continue to move forward, according to his representatives.
The Department of Homeland Security has not responded to requests for comment regarding the court’s ruling.
