Latest news with #MohsenMahdawi
New York Post
20-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Palestinian Columbia University protester Mohsen Mahdawi allowed to graduate after being freed from ICE custody
From perp walk to grad walk. Freed Columbia University protester Mohsen Mahdawi was allowed to stride across the graduation stage Monday — just three weeks after being cut loose from an immigration jail. 3 Palestinian Columbia University student Mohsen Mahdawi walks during the school's graduation ceremony at the School of General Studies in New York City on Monday, May 19, 2025. Anadolu via Getty Images Advertisement The 34-year-old, who was draped in a keffiyeh, paused in the middle of the stage as he listened to some of his fellow grads cheer him on. Mahdawi, a legal permanent resident for 10 years, was nabbed by the feds in Vermont on April 14 during an interview about finalizing his US citizenship. The Trump administration had accused Mahdawi of engaging in 'threatening rhetoric and intimidation' against Jewish students during Columbia's anti-Israel protests. Advertisement He ended up being released by a judge two weeks later — and used his graduation to attack the current administration. 3 Mohsen Mahdawi (L) and Mahmoud Khalil participate in a pro-Palestinian protest at Columbia University, Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023, in New York. AP 3 Mahdawi (L) graduated on Monday just three weeks after being cut loose from an immigration jail. Anadolu via Getty Images 'The Trump administration wanted to rob me of this opportunity. They wanted me to be in a prison, in prison clothes, to not have education and to not have joy or celebration,' a defiant Mahdawi said. Advertisement 'It's very mixed emotions.' While the feds haven't accused Mahdawi of committing a crime, they've argued that he and other rabble-rousing students should be deported for beliefs that may undermine US foreign policy. With Post wires
New York Times
20-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
A Plane Crash in Brooklyn Overshadowed Her Childhood
Good morning. It's Tuesday. Today we'll meet a woman who wrote a memoir about how her life was affected by a midair collision over New York Harbor nearly 65 years ago. We'll also find out about graduation day for Mohsen Mahdawi, who led pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia University — and was arrested by immigration officers last month. Also, watch your inbox. Coming your way later today will be our limited-edition newsletter, The Sprint for City Hall. It will look at how tensions over the war in Gaza have made their way into the mayor's race and even affected a parade over the weekend. It will also look at how another time-tested political tool, candidates' children, are being deployed as the June 24 primary approaches. Marty Ross-Dolen went to Green-Wood Cemetery to stand by a monument that her grandparents' names are on. The monument is 'hidden back there,' she said. 'You don't know that people even know about it.' She herself didn't know much about why her grandparents' names belonged on the monument until nearly 20 years ago, when she was in her mid-40s and finally read up on something that was almost never talked about when she was growing up: a midair collision over New York Harbor in December 1960. Her grandparents — her mother's mother and father — had been passengers on one of the two planes. 'The plane crash had been a part of my life since I asked my mother where her parents were,' Ross-Dolen said. 'I must have been 4. I knew who they were because there were pictures around the house, and I was named for my grandmother. But my mother raised me in silence. In the 1960s, there was no language for processing grief.' Ross-Dolen, who learned that language on her way to becoming a child psychiatrist and a writer, has processed more than grief in a just-published memoir, 'Always There, Always Gone: A Daughter's Search for Truth' (She Writes Press). It is a very personal account of the aftermath of a disaster that captured attention for a few days. Then the world moved on — for everyone else. Her mother's parents, Garry and Mary Myers, ran the magazine Highlights for Children, which Garry Myers's parents had started after World War II. Ross-Dolen said the trip to New York, with another Highlights executive, had a purpose. Her grandparents wanted to see about getting Highlights for Children on newsstands. They boarded a Trans World Airlines plane in Columbus, Ohio, where they lived and the magazine had its headquarters. New York was little more than 90 minutes away on the propeller-driven Super Constellation, and as it pushed through sleet and fog, air traffic controllers cleared it to descend to 5,000 feet on its way to landing at LaGuardia Airport. A different plane heading toward a different airport was also preparing to land — a United Airlines DC-8, bound for what was then known as Idlewild Airport (now John F. Kennedy International Airport). The two aircraft should never have been less than three miles from each other. But the jet, which had transceiver trouble, was not over New Jersey, where the pilots and the air traffic controllers assumed it was. It was already over Staten Island. And then the two dots on the radar screen merged into one. In all, 134 people died — 128 passengers and crew members on the two planes, and 6 people on the ground in Brooklyn, where wreckage from the United plane landed in Park Slope. 'There was one time in high school when I discovered my mother looking at old newspapers,' Ross-Dolen said. 'I didn't inquire. I didn't try to find those articles.' But in 2008, with a little time on her hands, 'I decided to sneak, almost like a kid, and see what had happened.' And by 2008, there was Google, which made her search easier. 'I'm sure I was shaking when I was reading about it,' she said. Then, in 2010, as the 50th anniversary of the accident approached, she and her mother talked about it — to a reporter from The Columbus Dispatch, who had asked to interview her mother. 'We were trying to hold ourselves together,' Ross-Dolen said. 'It became less a mother-daughter thing and more partners in mourning.' In The New York Times's articles about the anniversary, I wrote that it was 'almost a ghost disaster, one without the universally shared imagery of the Titanic or the Hindenburg, one that is, in a strange way, nearly forgotten by those who weren't there or touched directly by it.' Ross-Dolen was touched by it, even though she was born six years after it happened. She began working on her book after the monument was unveiled on the 50th anniversary of the crash. She said that seeing it again last week was 'profound,' because she had a feeling of coming full circle. 'Fourteen years ago, I was standing there with people who had been connected to the story of the accident,' she said. 'This time, I was standing by myself, but I was also putting my story into the world.' Today will be sunny and slightly breezy with a high near 70. Tonight, expect cloudy skies with a low around 55. In effect until Memorial Day. The latest New York news Mohsen Mahdawi, who was detained by ICE, graduates from Columbia He walked across the stage wearing the graduation gown he had ironed himself. He bowed. He held his mortarboard above his head with one hand. He flashed a peace sign with the other. Only then did Mohsen Mahdawi collect his bachelor's degree from Columbia University. My colleague Sharon Otterman writes that it was a moment of happiness for Mahdawi that the Trump administration had tried to prevent. Mahdawi is a green card holder who led pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia and was arrested by immigration officers last month in Vermont. A federal judge ordered him released two weeks later in a setback for the Trump administration's effort to crack down on student demonstrators. Mahmoud Khalil, another Columbia student who was a prominent figure in pro-Palestinian demonstrations on the Columbia campus, was supposed to receive his graduate diploma from Columbia this week. But Khalil, a legal permanent resident who was detained in March, remains in a detention center in Louisiana. His wife, Dr. Noor Abdalla, spoke an at unofficial alternative graduation ceremony on Sunday at a church on the Upper West Side, saying that graduation was another milestone he had missed since his arrest. He was not allowed to leave the detention center when she gave birth to a son last month. Tosca Dear Diary: We were returning from a vacation in Spain. Our first stop was on West Broadway to retrieve our African gray parrot, Tosca. From there we took a taxi to our Nassau Street home. As we exited the cab in front of our building, we were greeted by the familiar cacophony of horns, sirens and bustling people. My wife spied a fresh fruit cart on the corner near Pace University. 'I'll be right back,' she said as she walked away with Tosca on her shoulder. Suddenly, I heard her yell, 'Tosca, Tosca,' and saw her running down Park Place with people following her and yelling, 'Oscar, Oscar.' A gust of wind had apparently lifted Tosca off her shoulder and was carrying her down the street. She soon landed and began to screech: 'Taxiiii, taxiiiiiii.' 'Is that pigeon calling a taxi?' a woman who appeared somewhat bewildered said. Yes, indeed. We had taught Tosca to say 'taxiii' when she wanted to be carried around our loft. Luckily, my wife reached Tosca before any harm came to her, offered her a finger and then carried her home amid cheers and laughter from those who had gathered to watch. — Penny Bamford Illustrated by Agnes Lee. Send submissions here and read more Metropolitan Diary here. Glad we could get together here. See you tomorrow. — J.B. P.S. Here's today's Mini Crossword and Spelling Bee. You can find all our puzzles here. Ama Sarpomaa and Ed Shanahan contributed to New York Today. You can reach the team at nytoday@ Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox.
Express Tribune
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Palestinian student Mohsen Mahdawi freed from ICE custody graduates at Columbia
Listen to article Palestinian activist Mohsen Mahdawi graduated from Columbia University on Monday, just over two weeks after being released from US immigration detention following a controversial arrest that drew national attention. Mohsen Mahdawi, 34, a legal US resident and green card holder, was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers on April 14 during a routine naturalisation interview in Colchester, Vermont. The arrest came amid a wider federal crackdown on foreign students accused of participating in pro-Palestinian protests. He was released on April 30 by order of a federal judge in Vermont, who criticised the government's actions and compared them to McCarthy-era repression. Mohsen Mahdawi had not been charged with any criminal offence. On Monday, he crossed the graduation stage at Columbia's School of General Studies, receiving a bachelor's degree in philosophy to loud applause. He wore a keffiyeh – a traditional Palestinian scarf – as he waved to the crowd, blew a kiss, and bowed. 'It's very mixed emotions,' Mohsen Mahdawi said in an interview. 'The Trump administration wanted to rob me of this opportunity. They wanted me to be in a prison, to not have education, to not have joy or celebration.' After the ceremony, he joined a vigil outside Columbia's gates, holding a photo of his classmate, Mahmoud Khalil, who remains in federal detention in Louisiana. Mahmoud Khalil was set to graduate later this week with a master's degree in international studies. Mohsen Mahdawi is one of several international students detained in recent months under an executive order signed by President Donald Trump targeting individuals deemed to have 'hostile attitudes' toward US foreign policy. The administration has argued that participation in pro-Palestinian protests constitutes a national security concern. A letter calling for Mohsen Mahdawi's deportation, signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, accused him of using threatening language towards pro-Israeli individuals on campus. However, video footage from November 2023, reviewed by CBS News, appeared to show Mahdawi intervening against antisemitic comments made by another protester. The legal justification for his detention drew criticism from civil rights advocates. The government cited a rarely used provision that allows the Secretary of State to revoke a person's immigration status if they are deemed a threat to US foreign policy. Mohsen Mahdawi, who had previously been accepted into a master's programme in peacekeeping and conflict resolution at Columbia, said he is now reconsidering his future. He recently learned that he will not receive financial aid to continue his studies. 'The senior administration is selling the soul of this university to the Trump administration,' he said, referring to Columbia's response to student activism and the detentions. He also criticised the university for placing its Middle Eastern studies department under new leadership, allegedly in response to political pressure. Columbia University has not publicly commented on Mahdawi's case. Despite the uncertainty surrounding his immigration status and academic future, Mahdawi said he plans to continue advocating for Palestinian rights. 'When I walked the stage, the message was clear: they were cheering for justice, for peace, for humanity,' he said. 'Not the Trump administration, not Columbia University, not any power in this world will stop us from continuing to be human.'
The Guardian
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Mohsen Mahdawi, released from Ice custody, graduates from Columbia
Columbia University student Mohsen Mahdawi, released just over two weeks ago from federal detention, crossed the graduation stage on Monday to cheers from his fellow graduates. The Palestinian activist was arrested by immigration authorities in Colchester, Vermont, while attending a naturalization interview. He was detained and ordered to be deported by the Trump administration on 14 April despite not being charged with a crime. Several students cheered for Mahdawi, 34, who was draped in a keffiyeh as he walked across the stage. He blew a kiss and bowed, one video showed. Then he joined a vigil just outside Columbia's gates, raising a photograph of his classmate Mahmoud Khalil, who remains in federal custody. 'It's very mixed emotions,' Mahdawi told the Associated Press. 'The Trump administration wanted to rob me of this opportunity. They wanted me to be in a prison, in prison clothes, to not have education and to not have joy or celebration.' He is one of several international students who have been detained in recent months for their advocacy on behalf of Palestinians. The Trump administration is attempting to deport them using an obscure statute that gives the secretary of state the right to revoke the legal status of people in the country deemed a threat to foreign policy. Mahdawi was released two weeks later by a judge, who likened the government's actions to McCarthyist repression. Federal officials have not accused Mahdawi of committing a crime, but argued that he and other student activists should be deported for beliefs that may undermine US foreign policy. For Mahdawi, who earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Columbia's School of General Studies, the graduation marked a bittersweet return to a university that he says has betrayed him and other students. 'The senior administration is selling the soul of this university to the Trump administration, participating in the destruction and the degradation of our democracy,' Mahdawi said. Sign up to This Week in Trumpland A deep dive into the policies, controversies and oddities surrounding the Trump administration after newsletter promotion He pointed to Columbia's decision to acquiesce to the Trump administration's demands – including placing its Middle Eastern studies department under new leadership – as well as its failure to speak out against his and Khalil's arrest. Khalil would have received his diploma from a Columbia master's program in international studies later this week. He remains jailed in Louisiana as he awaits a decision from a federal judge about his possible release. As he prepares for a lengthy legal battle, Mahdawi faces his own uncertain future. He was previously admitted to a master's degree program at Columbia, where he planned to study 'peacekeeping and conflict resolution' in the fall. But he is reconsidering his options after learning this month that he would not receive financial aid. For now, he said, he would continue to advocate for the Palestinian cause, buoyed by the support he says he has received from the larger Columbia community. 'When I went on the stage, the message was very clear and loud: they are cheering up for the idea of justice, for the idea of peace, for the idea of equality, for the idea of humanity, and nothing will stop us from continuing to do that. Not the Trump administration nor Columbia University,' he said.
CBS News
19-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Mohsen Mahdawi graduates from Columbia University after release from ICE custody, tells CBS News he feels "victorious"
Mohsen Mahdawi graduated from Columbia University with a bachelor's degree in philosophy Monday, less than three weeks after he was released from immigration custody after being detained at what he was told was a U.S. citizenship interview. Mahdawi — who helped lead pro-Palestinian protests on Columbia's campus in 2023 — was greeted by cheers and applause as he returned to accept his diploma, donning a blue graduation cap with the scales of justice depicted on the top. After the event, he periodically stopped to flash peace signs or take photos with other graduates. In an interview with CBS News shortly before the ceremony, Mahdawi said he felt a "mix of emotions" — including a "feeling of being victorious." "They didn't want me to graduate. They didn't want me to be educated. They didn't want me to be out of prison," Mahdawi said. "And I am out because of the good people in this country and the democratic system." He plans to return to Columbia in the fall to pursue a graduate degree. Mahdawi, who has a green card, was detained by immigration officials in mid-April for allegedly posing a risk of "adverse foreign policy consequences." He was released on April 30 by a Vermont federal judge who, in a scathing order, said Mahdawi was likely being punished for protected speech. Mahdawi said he has "conflicting feelings" about his time at Columbia, citing the war in Gaza and the continued detention of fellow Columbia activist Mahmoud Khalil. He was also critical of Columbia's handling of his case, saying the school "let me down" by not offering him more protection. CBS News has reached out to Columbia for comment. Mahdawi added, "I'm not going anywhere, and I'm going to continue my education here as well." He told CBS News after the ceremony he saw his classmates' reactions as a "message of acknowledgement for the work that I have been doing, and an acknowledgement for what people desire. They want to see justice and peace in this country." "It doesn't matter what the Trump administration is trying to say or how to paint me. Come and listen to the people who know me," he added. What to know about Mohsen Mahdawi's case Mahdawi was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in Vermont in mid-April after arriving for what he was told was a citizenship interview. A day beforehand, he told CBS News he feared the appointment was a "honey trap." He remained in immigration custody for just over two weeks, until U.S. District Judge Geoffrey Crawford ordered his release earlier this month. Despite his release, Mahdawi's case remains active as a judge reviews the issue. The Trump administration is seeking to deport Mahdawi under a law that allows the government to revoke visas if the secretary of state believes somebody's presence in the U.S. poses "serious adverse foreign policy consequences." Mahdawi argues his detention violated the First Amendment by punishing him for protesting. The administration has also accused Mahdawi of "threatening rhetoric and intimidation of pro-Israeli bystanders," which he has denied, telling CBS News last month, "antisemitism has no place in our movement." In an interview with CBS News a week after his release, Mahdawi called the government's argument for detaining him "laughable": "A person who has been vocally advocating for justice and peace is undermining U.S. policy?" he said. Mahdawi is one of several students to face detention after their involvement in pro-Palestinian activism, with the government often citing the "foreign policy consequences" law. Another Columbia University student, Mahmoud Khalil, still remains in custody in Louisiana after he was detained on March 8, as the Trump administration pushes for his deportation and he sues for his release. And Tufts University graduate student Rumeysa Ozturk was released earlier this month at the orders of a federal judge, over a month after her detention — which her lawyers say was prompted by nothing more than an op-ed that she co-wrote in the campus newspaper. Shortly after the commencement, Mahdawi spoke at a vigil for other students who have faced immigration scrutiny, including Khalil and Rajani Srinivasan, yet another Columbia student who self-deported to Canada after her visa was revoked. The administration has defended the moves. Secretary of State Marco Rubio argued in March "we have a right" to take away visas and indicated the practice could continue. "We do it every day. Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visa," Rubio said.
