April 16, 2025, | New York City — In a chilling escalation of repression against student activists and the Palestinian liberation movement in the United States, dozens of protesters gathered on April 15 outside the New York City field office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to denounce what they are calling the politically motivated abduction of Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian Columbia University student and pro-Palestinian organizer.
Mahdawi, a lawful permanent resident of the U.S., was seized by immigration authorities the day before while attending a routine citizenship interview in Colchester, Vermont. The arrest, carried out without warning and absent any criminal charges, has sent shockwaves across academic and activist communities already on edge over an intensifying crackdown on Palestinian voices.
“Let’s call this what it is: a targeted political repression campaign designed to intimidate and silence Palestinians, immigrants, and student activists,” said Naye Idriss of the Palestinian Youth Movement, speaking to protesters outside ICE’s Manhattan office. “Our movement will not back down. The fight for Palestine is the fight against U.S. imperialism, against fascism, and for true liberation—here and abroad.”
Mahdawi’s detention comes on the heels of a disturbing precedent set in the case of Mahmoud Khalil, another Palestinian Columbia student who now faces deportation. Khalil’s removal was authorized by a Louisiana immigration judge, relying on a memo from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who claimed Khalil’s mere presence in the U.S. “would compromise a compelling U.S. foreign policy interest.”
For activists and legal experts alike, the implications are deeply troubling.
“This is not only unconstitutional; it is authoritarian,” said Luna Droubi, Mahdawi’s attorney. “My client has not committed any crime. He was detained in direct retaliation for his vocal advocacy for Palestinian rights and because of his identity as a Palestinian. This is an egregious abuse of power and an attack on free speech.”
The detention also takes place in the context of broader attacks on student movements across the country, particularly those standing in solidarity with Gaza and denouncing U.S. complicity in Israeli apartheid and occupation. The Trump administration-era tactics—now continuing under the Biden administration—are increasingly being used to repress political dissent, especially among non-citizens and communities of color.
At Monday’s protest, speakers demanded the immediate release of Mahdawi, Khalil, Rumeysa Ozturk, Badar Khan Suri, and others swept up in ICE’s ongoing campaign of intimidation.
“This is a deliberate attempt to send a message: that if you speak out for justice in Gaza, if you stand up to U.S. empire, you will be targeted,” said another student organizer. “But we refuse to be silenced. Mohsen is one of us. Khalil is one of us. We will not abandon them.”
Posters held aloft by protesters bore slogans like “Free All Detained Activists”, “Abolish ICE”, and “From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free”. Many in attendance noted the historical continuity between current anti-immigrant repression and past state crackdowns on liberation movements, from the Black Panthers to anti-Vietnam War protests.
For activists and organizers, Mahdawi’s arrest has only sharpened the urgency of their struggle.
“What we’re witnessing is the machinery of empire turning inward, using the full weight of the state to criminalize solidarity,” said Idriss. “But we know this repression is also a sign of fear—fear of our power, of our unity, of the global movement for liberation.”
As the protests grow and solidarity networks mobilize across campuses and communities, Online Peoples News will continue to cover the stories mainstream media ignores—the stories of those resisting empire, demanding justice, and fighting for freedom on every front.