US appeals court overturns ruling that freed Columbia activist Mahdawi

Key Points:

• A U.S. appeals court overturned a lower court ruling that ordered the release of Columbia University activist Mohsen Mahdawi from immigration detention, potentially allowing the Trump administration to detain him again amid its crackdown on pro-Palestinian student protesters.
• The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the case should be resolved in the immigration court system under the Department of Justice, removing the order for Mahdawi's release but not mandating his immediate re-arrest.
• Mahdawi, a lawful permanent resident born in the occupied West Bank, was detained in 2025 after attending what he thought was a citizenship interview and has faced deportation proceedings reinstated after the Board of Immigration Appeals overturned a prior decision blocking his deportation.
• The American Civil Liberties Union and human rights lawyers argue the government is retaliating against Mahdawi’s constitutionally protected speech, while the Trump administration claims authority to deport non-citizens whose presence could harm U.S. foreign policy.
• Mahdawi has vowed to continue fighting the deportation and expressed hope that the full court or the U.S. Supreme Court will restore constitutional protections, highlighting his case as a key challenge to the administration’s campaign against pro-Palestinian activism on campuses.