Palestinian activist Mohsen Mahdawi wins deportation case in immigration court
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An immigration judge has ruled that a Palestinian activist accused of making anti-Semitic statements and leading anti-Israel protests at Columbia University will not be deported from the United States, according to reports.
Judge Nina Froes ruled on February 13 that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did not present sufficient admissible evidence to establish that Mohsen Mahdawi had been removed from office. Reuters reported.
Froes said DHS relied in part on a memorandum purportedly signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, but he could not confirm the document’s authenticity.
As a result, the government “failed to meet its burden of proving removability,” according to Reuters.
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Palestinian activist Mohsen Mahdawi will not be deported after Immigration Judge Nina Froes ruled the government failed to provide sufficient evidence. (Amanda Swinhart/AP)
Mahdawi’s lawyers shared the ruling Tuesday in a filing with the New York Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, which is reviewing an earlier decision that led to Mahdawi’s release from immigration detention in April 2025.
Mahdawi, 34, was detained during a citizenship appointment in Vermont at the time and remained in custody for more than two weeks. He was later released on bail after filing a habeas petition.
A federal judge ruled that he would not be deported or removed from the state, and he was released under an order issued by U.S. District Judge Geoffrey Crawford in Burlington.
Mahdawi was one of the founders of the Palestinian Student Union at Columbia following the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, according to a 2025 court filing. He founded the group together with Mahmud Halil.
Mahdawi’s deportation case stems in part from allegations dating back to 2015, when she was interviewed by the FBI after reportedly making anti-Semitic statements at a gun shop and a firearms museum in Vermont.
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Mohsen Mahdawi, accused of making anti-Semitic statements and leading Columbia University protests, won his deportation case after the judge found the evidence insufficient. (REUTERS/Ryan Murphy)
The store owner said Mahdawi had expressed interest in purchasing firearms, including a sniper rifle and automatic weapon, according to court documents previously cited by Fox News Digital.
The owner claimed to have experience making modified 9mm submachine guns “to kill Jews while in Palestine.”
The owner also claimed Mahdawi said at a museum in Windsor: “I love killing Jews.” Mahdawi denied making anti-Semitic comments or expressing violent intent.
“As the media worked overtime to glorify the ringleader of the pro-terrorist riots in Columbia, court documents show Mahdawi told a gun store owner that he had significant firearms experience and had ‘killed Jews,'” Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Trish McLaughlin said in a statement at the time.
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Columbia University graduate student Mahmud Khalil came to St. Louis in New York City to welcome him home after his release from immigration detention. He attends a rally in front of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, United States, June 22, 2025. REUTERS/Angelina Katsanis (REUTERS/Angelina Katsanis)
Mahdawi’s defense team said federal agents conducted a thorough investigation and found “no evidence” to support the allegations.
In a statement on Tuesday, Mahdawi said she was grateful for the court’s decision.
“I am grateful to the court for honoring the rule of law and taking a stand against the government’s attempts to trample on due process,” he said.
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“This decision is an important step towards supporting what fear is trying to destroy: the right to speak for peace and justice. About a year ago, I was detained at my citizenship interview not because I broke the law, but because I spoke against the genocide of Palestinians,” Mahdawi said. he said.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment.
