VERMONT – Permanent U.S. resident Mohsen Mahdawi has been released from immigration custody following a federal court order, according to a statement by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization. CAIR hailed Mahdawi’s release as a significant victory for both civil liberties and free speech.
Mahdawi, who grew up in the West Bank and later obtained a green card, was arrested in Vermont by immigration authorities. While no criminal charges were filed, his detention sparked outcry from civil rights advocates, who view his arrest as part of a broader pattern of political retaliation under the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
In a formal statement, CAIR said:
“We welcome the release of Mohsen Mahdawi as an important victory in the struggle for not only his freedom, but also in the broader struggle to protect the First Amendment. Every person in America, including immigrants, has a constitutional right to free speech. The Trump administration must stop abducting and disappearing college students because they dared to criticize U.S. support for the Israeli government’s war crimes in Gaza.”
CAIR is also advocating for the immediate release of two other individuals—Mahmoud Khalil and Rumeysa Ozturk—who remain in immigration detention under similarly controversial circumstances. Ozturk, a Tufts University graduate student, was reportedly “snatched from the street by masked ICE agents,” according to CAIR, allegedly in retaliation for co-authoring an editorial urging her university to divest from the Israeli government over its role in what CAIR described as a genocide in Gaza.
CAIR has publicly demanded that the Trump administration provide Ozturk with adequate medical care, raising concerns about her health and well-being while in ICE custody.
The organization also highlighted ongoing legal efforts tied to free speech and academic freedom. In March, CAIR’s New York chapter, its national office, and the law firm Dratel & Lewis filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Columbia University students. The suit challenges both Columbia University and the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce over congressional efforts to obtain thousands of student records. According to CAIR, the lawsuit is a response to what it sees as an attempt to intimidate student activists and stifle campus dissent related to U.S. foreign policy and Israel’s actions in Gaza.
Beyond legal action, CAIR is also mobilizing legislative pressure. The California chapter of CAIR, along with the California Immigrant Policy Center (CIPC) and more than 120 allied organizations—including labor unions, civil rights groups, faith leaders, and legal advocates—submitted a joint letter to over 50 California legislators. The letter urges immediate action to address the arrests of anti-genocide activists Mahmoud Khalil and Yunseo Chung, both affiliated with Columbia University.
CAIR’s growing campaign signals an intensifying backlash against what advocates describe as politically motivated immigration enforcement targeting students and critics of U.S. foreign policy.
