Legislators Protest at State Department for Mahdawi’s Release

WASHINGTON (04-30) – Columbia University student Mohsen Mahdawi, illegally arrested and jailed by masked ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents on April 14 during a naturalization interview in Vermont to finalize his U.S. citizenship, was released today by U.S. District Court judge Geoffrey W. Crawford who ruled that Mahdawi “did not pose a danger to the public and that he was not a flight risk.” The judge referenced cases from the 1950s and the specter of McCarthyism, saying this was “not our proudest moment.”

Cyrus Mehta, his attorney, said that Mahdawi, a ten-year legal resident, was arrested for his participation in advocating “Palestinian human rights” during protests at the university. Mahdawi, who grew up in a Palestinian refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, co-founded the Palestinian Student Union at the university.

Because of his involvement in the student protests his lawyers charge that his arrest was “in retaliation for his speech advocating for Palestinian human rights,” and that “government officials violated his First Amendment right to free speech and his right to due process.”

Earlier this week documents submitted by the State Department to the court included a letter from Secretary of State Marco Rubio in which he said that “activities and presence of Mahdawi in the United States undermines U.S. policy to combat antisemitism” and “potentially undermine the peace process underway in the Middle East.”

The day before Mahdawi’s hearing a protest was held outside of the State Department calling for his immediate release. The protest was led by Congresswoman Becca Balint (D-VT) who spoke passionately about Mahdawi’s arrest which she referred to as “a trap.” The importance of protesting is to “elevate the stories of unjust arrests and confinement” that indicate just “how far from our values we have strayed under the Trump administration. What is happening right now in our name is against everything that we say we stand for as Americans.”

She called on Marco Rubio to stand up for due process and for the Constitution, challenging him with “if you believe in freedom as you say you do then prove it with action not your empty words.”

Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) told the crowd that Mahdawi was a man who has used his voice to advocate for “peace, justice and dignity for Palestinians and Israelis.” What happened to Mahdawi, he said, was “illegal and unconstitutional. Mr. Mahdawi is a legal resident of the United States and like all legal residents he must be afforded due process under the law.”

“This is a moment in history when we have got to stand up against Trump moving this country to authoritarianism. Too many people have fought and died to retain democracy and the rule of law in this country, and we will not allow Trump to trample what those people have fought and died for.”

Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), who recently returned from El Salvador after speaking with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was illegally deported and imprisoned there, spoke of the illegal abductions by masked ICE agents and commented that “I don’t think that Secretary Rubio could pass a citizenship test. And I want him to hear that on the seventh floor.”

“Senator Rubio used to take to the Senate Floor all the time,” he said, pointing out that he used to talk about American foreign policy based on promoting democracy, human rights, freedom of religion and freedom of speech. “And now as Secretary of State he is trashing freedom of speech right here at home. So instead of promoting freedom of speech overseas he is ripping up the First Amendment of the Constitution here at home. That is shameful. And we will not be bullied, and we will not be silenced, and we will stand up for the Constitution of the United Sates.”

Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), ranking member of the Immigration Committee, spoke to the “incredible display of power and resistance” protests have in helping to “stop the administration in continuing to snatch and disappear people from across the country, on our streets, in front of our eyes, and in our communities.” Speaking as a naturalized citizen herself, she related how she felt at her final citizenship interview. “I know the joy he must have felt when he walked into what he thought was going to be his final citizenship interview, and the cruelty of using the citizenship interview so that he could be snatched, disappeared and detained. Marco Rubio, Donald Trump and all those that want to destroy American Freedom, we will not let you do that no matter how little our voice is we are still going to speak up.”

Speaking of the Trump administration’s attacks on immigrants and students, Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) described them as “cruel and inhumane.” Going further she said that “If the justice system does not protect people like Moshen…we know it may include U.S. citizens next, and we know that is Fascism. And they are openly defying a Supreme Court order.”

“I saw somebody has a sign that said ‘It’s time to impeach the president;’ it’s absolutely true. It’s time to reject Fascism on all fronts.” She went on to refer to all those rounded up under the deportation program and detained by ICE agents as “political prisoners.”

“Descent in our country is a fundamental American value. You must respect our First Amendment right no matter what. If we don’t stand up and fight for freedom today, the fascist Trump regime will come for everyone. These are test cases. Transformative changes do not come from Congress, or the White House it came from all of you. We didn’t get the Civil Rights Act because somebody woke up and said, Wow that’s a really great idea. We didn’t get these protections because everybody though it was a great idea. It was because people organized in the streets and demanded that change. That’s the power you all have!”

Also in attendance at the rally were Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-NY), Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-FL) and Rep. Maxine Dexter (D-OR.)

Report and photos by Phil Pasquini

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