Hollywood Life: The Columbia Student threatened with deportation
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Since Donald Trump
took office, his administration has been cracking down on immigration. Deportations of Palestinian Columbia University students have increased. One such student was Mohsen Mahdawi. Mahdawi had been held in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Vermont since the 14th of April 2025. When you advocate for violence, glorify and support terrorists who relish the killing of Americans, and harass Jews, that privilege should be revoked, and you shouldn’t be in this country.” When you advocate for violence, glorify and support terrorists that relish the killing of Americans, and harass Jews, that privilege should be revoked, and you should not be in this country.”McLaughlin was seemingly referring to Mahdawi’s association with a Pro-Palestinian student group at Columbia and for speaking out against Israel’s actions in Gaza.Upon being released on bail on April 30, 2025, two weeks after his detainment, Mahdawi had a message for the Trump administration: “I am saying it clear and loud to President Trump and his Cabinet: I am not afraid of you,” he said.
Below, learn more about Mahdawi.
Mohsen Mahdawi Was Born in a Refugee Camp
The 34-year-old was born in a refugee camp in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. In 2014, he moved to the United States.
Mohsen Mahdawi Has Been a Legal Vermont Resident for 10 Years
After moving to the U.S., Mahdawi became a legal resident for 10 years and lived in Hartford, Vermont.
Mohsen Mahdawi Co-Founded Columbia’s Palestinian Student Union
According to multiple outlets, Mahdawi co-founded the Palestinian Student Union at Columbia with another permanent Palestinian U.S. resident named Mahmoud Khalil, who was also reportedly detained.
Mohsen Mahdawi Is Expected to Graduate in 2025
Mahdawi is expected to graduate from Columbia in May 2025 before he begins a master’s degree program at the university, according to NBC5.
