US Judge Blocks Trump's Order Deporting Palestinian Student Mohsen Mahdawi

JAKARTA - An immigration judge in the United States has decided to end the deportation process against a Palestinian student, thwarting President Donald Trump's administration's efforts to deport him.

Palestinian student and activist Mohsen Mahdawi, who led pro-Palestinian actions at Columbia University and has lived in the US for more than a decade, was arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in April while undergoing a citizenship interview and spent 16 days in ICE custody.

Mahdawi was released on bail on April 30 after filing a habeas petition in the US District Court for the District of Vermont. He believes he was detained illegally as a form of retaliation for freedom of speech guaranteed by the constitution.

Mahdawi's lawyer on Tuesday, February 17, told the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit that the deportation proceedings against him had been suspended. This reality marks a significant development in a case that has sparked concerns about legal processes and the protection of freedom of expression.

Based on the letter submitted to the court, the immigration judge ended the trial after the government failed to authenticate a memorandum allegedly from Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The document, which accused Mahdawi of threatening foreign policy interests, was the basis for his detention in 2025 and his deportation case.

"I thank the court for upholding the rule of law and cracking down on the government's attempts to trample on a fair legal process," Mahdawi said.

"This decision is an important step to uphold what fear is trying to destroy: the right to speak up for peace and justice," he added.

Brett Max Kaufman, a senior adviser at the American Civil Liberties Union's (ACLU) Democracy Center, said the results underscored the importance of judicial oversight in immigration cases.