The federal government has doubled down on its efforts to deport Mohsen Mahdawi, a pro-Palestinian activist with ties to the Upper Valley.
Last month, a federal judge based in Chelmsford, Mass., tossed out the case against Mahdawi on the grounds that government attorneys failed to properly certify an official memo they planned to use as evidence, Associated Press reported.
The Department of Homeland Security has since submitted an appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals to continue with deportation proceedings, according to a letter one of Mahdawi’s lawyers filed with the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday.
Mahdawi’s legal team has submitted a cross-appeal urging the Board of Immigration Appeals to terminate the case with prejudice, which would bar the government from refiling the case, a news release stated.
“This appeal is not about me,” Mahdawi said in the release. “It is about whether the Trump administration can weaponize immigration law to silence dissent and punish those who dare to speak against Israel’s genocide and aggression.”
Mahdawi and his legal team did not respond to a request for comment on Thursday.
Originally from the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Mahdawi has been outspoken about his opposition to the war in Gaza, which has led to the deaths of more than 70,000 Palestinians. As an undergraduate student at Columbia University, he helped found the school’s Palestinian Student Union and led pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
Last April, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested Mahdawi, a green card holder who’s lived in the U.S. for about a decade, at a citizenship interview in Colchester, Vt. He was detained for two weeks before a federal judge granted his release while his immigration case was pending.
Since the arrest, the government has continued efforts to deport Mahdawi, who has a residence in White River Junction and a cabin in West Fairlee, citing a memo from Secretary of State Marco Rubio arguing noncitizens can be deported from the country if their presence threatens U.S. foreign policy, Associated Press reported.
Now a graduate student at Columbia where he’s studying international affairs, Mahdawi continues to speak out against the war in Gaza.
Mahdawi also has a separate ongoing legal case against the government arguing that he was unlawfully detained.
“We look forward to the day that Mohsen can focus his attention where it belongs: on his studies, on his advocacy for peace, and on seeking justice in his communities without worrying about the government violating his rights again,” Cyrus Mehta, a member of Mahdawi’s legal team, said in the release.