Columbia University student arrested, detained by DHS agents, lawyer says
NEW YORK -- A permanent resident of the U.S. and student at Columbia University was arrested and detained by Department of Homeland Security agents after attending his naturalization interview on Monday, his attorney told ABC News.
At Columbia University, where he recently attended, Mohsen Mahdawi was an "outspoken critic of Israel's military campaign in Gaza and an activist and organizer in student protests on Columbia's campus until March of 2024, after which he took a step back and has not been involved in organizing," according to a habeas petition obtained by ABC News.
Mahdawi's attorneys called his arrest "unlawful" and said it violates the First Amendment.
According to the habeas petition, Mahdawi was born and raised in a refugee camp in the West Bank until 2014 when he moved to the U.S. He has been a legal resident for the last 10 years and is expected to graduate Columbia University next month.
In December of 2023, Mahdawi appeared on 60 Minutes where he shared that, "as a child, he watched an Israeli soldier shoot and kill his best friend in the West Bank," the petition said.
"Mr. Mahdawi is fearful that, if he loses his lawful permanent resident status and he is removed to the West Bank, he will experience the same harassment, detention, and torture that his family has experienced, and would be in even more danger in light of the campaigns that have targeted and spread lies about him," the attorneys said.
Mahdawi's attorney Luna Droubi told ABC News the legal team is "doing what we can to locate our client."
Columbia University declined to comment on Mahdawi's detention.
(ABC News contributed to this report.)
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