Palestinian Columbia Student Detained by DHS During Citizenship Interview Launches Vermont Immigration Legal Defense Fund
📸 Image Credit: HopsonRoad, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International, via Wikimedia Commons
While completing his naturalization interview to become an American citizen, Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian Columbia student activist and green card holder, was detained by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents last month in Vermont. Mahdawi was then unconstitutionally held in a state prison for two weeks without formal charges until April 30th, when a judge ordered his release.
Upon his release, he warned that “I am a peacemaker. And when they arrest me, that is a red flag to everybody.” He has now joined Vermont public officials in launching the Vermont Immigration Legal Defense Fund, with the goal of improving access to legal advice for immigrants and creating a stronger legal infrastructure to protect immigrants within the justice system.
Mahdawi reassured supporters that when he was released, he “was reassured in my heart of the belief that justice will prevail … and the justice system is functioning." He continued, “I wasn't afraid when they detained me. I was not afraid when I got out of detention. And I'm not afraid to share my voice.”
