Immigration authorities detained Columbia University student Mohsen Mahdawi, a U.S. permanent resident, during his naturalization interview in Vermont, allegedly as retaliation for his protests against the Israel-Gaza war. His detention is part of a broader crackdown on foreign students, with Mahdawi’s lawyers claiming he was targeted due to his activism. Federal officials have faced criticism from lawmakers, who labeled the action “immoral and inhumane,” as Mahdawi’s attorneys filed a petition challenging his detention, which a judge temporarily blocked.
