Human rights activists and members of the Buddhist community have called for justice after United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detained Palestinian student Mohsen Mahdawi, and legal permanent resident of the United States, during a scheduled citizenship interview at a US Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Vermont on Monday morning.
Mahdawi, a philosophy undergraduate at Columbia University and former president of the Columbia University Buddhist Association (CUBA), was in the final stage of US naturalization when he was arrested by plainclothes officers affiliated with Homeland Security Investigations.
Following Mahdawi’s detention, his legal team filed a petition of habeas corpus with the US District Court of Vermont, challenging the use of a rarely invoked clause in the Immigration and Nationality Act that permits the deportation of legal residents deemed a threat to US foreign policy. The legal filing argues that Mahdawi’s arrest is “retaliatory and targeted,” based on his constitutionally protected political expression. (Columbia Spectator)
In response, US District Judge William Sessions III issued an emergency order stating that Mahdawi was “not be removed from the United States or moved out of the territory of the District of Vermont, pending further order of this Court.” (Columbia Spectator)
Buddhist teacher and founder of Buddhist Global Relief, Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi, spoke with Mahdawi in the last year and drew attention to his case with a post on Facebook:
Mahdawi’s detention comes in the wake of ramped up immigration enforcement targeting international students affiliated with pro-Palestinian activism. In March, Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil, also of Palestinian origin, was detained under similar circumstances. A Louisiana immigration judge recently ruled that deportation proceedings against Khalil could go ahead, citing Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s justification based on Khalil’s political beliefs and associations.
Mahdawi, 26, is a longtime student activist who moved to the US from the West Bank in 2014. He was born and raised in a refugee camp and has spoken at multiple Columbia campus events advocating for Palestinian human rights. He also co-founded the Columbia Palestinian Student Union and played an active role in interfaith outreach, including organizing dialogues with Jewish and Israeli student groups.
In a joint statement on 14 April, Vermont’s congressional delegation—Senators Bernie Sanders and Peter Welch, and Representative Becca Balint—condemned the arrest: “This is immoral, inhumane, and illegal,” the statement read. “Mr. Mahdawi, a legal resident of the United States, must be afforded due process under the law and immediately released from detention.” (Bernie Sanders)
A video circulated on social media appears to show a handcuffed Mahdawi being led by masked officers to an unmarked vehicle. As of Monday, the ICE online detainee locator confirmed Mahdawi’s custody and listed his current facility as associated with the Boston field office.
The Columbia Palestine Solidarity Coalition (CPSC) issued a statement denouncing the university administration, naming several university officials and accusing them of neglecting their duty to protect Mahdawi following earlier warnings. “He was intentionally neglected,” CPSC stated, adding that the group would continue advocating for his legal defense and for the safety of other students at risk. (Columbia Spectator)
Mahdawi’s lawyers have emphasized his consistent record of peaceful protest and engagement. During a November 2023 campus demonstration, Mahdawi publicly condemned antisemitic and anti-Black remarks shouted by another protester, leading a chant of “shame on you” in response. That action has since been included in his legal team’s filing to challenge characterizations of his activism. In a 2023 interview (below), Mahdawi recounts confronting an antisemitic individual at a protest.
In addition to his political work, Mahdawi has maintained a strong presence within the Columbia Buddhist community. His role as president of the Columbia University Buddhist Association includes organizing weekly meditation sessions and interfaith programming. His supporters within the community have expressed concern over the arrest and its implications for religiously and politically engaged students.
The Columbia Buddhist Association has issued the following letter, obtained by BDG:
Dear Community Members,
On Monday, April 14th, Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian student and former president of the Columbia University Buddhist Association, was unlawfully detained by U.S. immigration authorities. His detention occurred under the guise of a naturalization interview at a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Colchester, Vermont. Mohsen, a lawful permanent resident, is being detained not because he is a threat to the United States or a criminal, but because of his Palestinian identity and outspoken advocacy for Palestine. We unequivocally condemn Mohsen’s detention and the relentless targeting of him as a student activist, along with Columbia University’s inaction and silence, which laid the groundwork for Mohsen’s kidnapping by the U.S. government.
As Buddhist Association president, Mohsen was committed to expanding the club’s reach to all members of Columbia’s community and beyond, constantly emphasizing the need for a compassionate and mindfully engaged world. He led collaborations with the Buddhist Council of New York, connecting community members with students, all in the hope of sharing Buddhist principles and practice. He hosted board meetings at his apartment, always ready with tea, snacks, and a deeply welcoming presence. Within our club, he spoke of his path to Buddhism in light of his harrowing experiences as a Palestinian refugee in the Israeli occupied West Bank. Our weekly meditations were a grounding space for him; they served as a place of healing and cultivated his passion for peacemaking and justice for all oppressed peoples.
Now, Mohsen will be held in the inhumane space of an immigration detention facility, unjustly imprisoned for wanting Palestinians to be seen by the world as human beings. As Mahmoud Khalil, another Palestinian student who was recently detained by ICE for his pro-Palestine advocacy, wrote in his letter from a Louisiana detention facility, “For Palestinians, imprisonment without due process is commonplace.”
As a Buddhist club on Columbia’s campus, we must remind ourselves that our practice transcends our meditation circles and theoretical conversations we have about interconnectedness and oneness. We must always turn outward to recognize the suffering, injustice, and oppression we witness around us. We must have the courage to speak out against, and engage with, this suffering, even when we feel fearful. Only then can we say we are truly living in the present moment.
Mohsen, we stand with you and will be ready to embrace you once you are free.
The Board of the Columbia University Buddhist Association
The Buddhist Council of New York has issued the following statement:
To Whom It May Concern,
On behalf of the Buddhist Council of New York (BCNY), I write to express our support for Mohsen Mahdawi, who served as President of the Columbia University Buddhist Association (CUBA) from 2022
to 2023.
. . .
During his time at Columbia, Mohsen played a key role in organizing Vesak 2023, a major joint celebration hosted by BCNY and CUBA to honor the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and passing….
We are deeply concerned that Mohsen is now facing serious threats to his immigration status based on unfounded accusations—including allegations of anti-Semitism—which stand in stark contrast to the character and values we have consistently observed.
Throughout his time in leadership, Mohsen has been a clear and consistent advocate for peace, human dignity, and nonviolence. At no time has he expressed or endorsed hate speech or divisive rhetoric of any kind.
While BCNY members were not present at last year’s campus protests, we know Mohsen’s character and trust the 60 Minutes report stating that he publicly denounced inflammatory anti-Jewish and anti-Israel remarks. This aligns fully with the principled, peace-centered person we have come to know—one guided by conscience, compassion, and courage.
The Buddhist Council of New York stands in strong support of Mohsen Mahdawi and affirms his unwavering dedication to nonviolence, inclusion, and respectful dialogue. His leadership exemplifies the kind of moral clarity and compassion that we believe are essential to building a more just and harmonious world.
Should you require further information, please do not hesitate to contact me directly.
With sincere respect,
Rev. Doyeon Park
President, Buddhist Council of New York
See more
Palestinian activist Mohsen Mahdawi, GS ’25, detained by ICE at naturalization appointment (Columbia Spectator)
NEWS: Sanders, Welch, Balint Statement on Trump Detaining Mohsen Mahdawi (Bernie Sanders)
Government’s case against Mahmoud Khalil is reliant on tabloid accounts, review of evidence shows (NBC News)
Columbia University associate of Mahmoud Khalil arrested by DHS (ABC News)
Columbia University Buddhist Association
Buddhist Council of New York
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