Trump-Appointed Judges Overturn Ruling Freeing Pro-Palestine Protester from ICE Custody

A federal appeals court panel, consisting of one George W. Bush appointee and two Donald Trump appointees, overturned a lower court ruling that had freed Columbia University student and pro-Palestinian activist Mohsen Mahdawi from ICE custody. The Second Circuit panel ruled that the Vermont-based federal judge lacked jurisdiction to order Mahdawi's release, arguing that only an immigration court could handle his detention challenge as it was tied to his deportation case. Mahdawi, a Palestinian refugee from the West Bank and legal U.S. permanent resident, was arrested in April 2025 during a scheduled citizenship interview, which he described as a 'trap.' His detention was part of a pressure campaign led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who claimed Mahdawi's pro-Palestinian advocacy could undermine U.S. foreign policy. Mahdawi co-founded Columbia's Palestinian Student Union with Mahmoud Khalil, another permanent resident who was detained by ICE. The ACLU provided a statement from Mahdawi criticizing the ruling as a political failure that weakens First Amendment protections for non-citizens.