"Not Afraid Of You": Mohsen Mahdawi Tells Trump After Release From US Custody (image-instagram/mohsen.of.palestine)

Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian green card holder and Columbia University student, was released after being detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on April 14.

A judge in the US has ordered the release as a case challenging his deportation proceedings. On Wednesday, in Burlington, Vermont, US District Judge Geoffrey Crawford ruled that he could leave the Northwest State Correctional Facility, where he had been arrested by immigration officials earlier this month.

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He walked out of the court raising both hands in the air, flashing a peace sign to his supporters. And as he spoke, Mahdawi shared a message for Trump, who had denounced Israel’s war in Gaza. “I am not afraid of you,” he said.

Then, addressing the suffering of the people in Palestine, he added, “To my people in Palestine: I feel your pain, I see your suffering, and I see freedom, and it is very soon.”

Mahdawi, despite being a green card holder in the US, was attempted to be deported as part of Trump’s administration push to break down pro-Palestine advocacy. Mahdawi was arrested while attending a citizenship interview on April 14. The videos of him being led away after being handcuffed were shared widely on social media.

The release of Mahdawi was considered to be a glimmer of hope in these extremely dark times, his supporters said.

In the ruling passed, the judge ruled that Mahdawi posed no flight risk and could be released while immigration proceedings against him proceed. This means he could attend his graduation next month in New York City. Moreover, the ruling also allows him to leave the state of Vermont and fight his deportation from outside a detention facility.

The Trump administration had taken a broad position that constitutional speech protections only apply to US citizens, a question which would eventually be decided by the US Supreme Court.

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Meanwhile, Mahdawi’s arrest has come just weeks after fellow Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil, also a US permanent resident. He was also likewise detained by immigration officials. Khalil remains in immigration custody in Louisiana since his arrest, and earlier this month, an immigration judge ruled Khalil was indeed deportable, siding with government lawyers.