US Senator Calls for Release of Detained Palestinian Student

(MENAFN) US Senator Peter Welch has called for the release of a Palestinian student from Columbia University, who was arrested the previous week while attending a citizenship interview.

"I just met with Mohsen Mahdawi where he’s being held in Vermont. He was detained when he showed up for his citizenship interview," Welch stated on Monday via X.

Mahdawi, a legal permanent resident and former student protest leader at Columbia, was taken into custody at the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office in Vermont.

Welch shared a video of his meeting with Mahdawi, who expressed that he remains "positive" by assuring himself that justice will prevail and his deep faith in democracy will guide him through the process.

"This is the reason I wanted to become a citizen of this country, because I believe in the principles of this country," Mahdawi explained. He recalled that the US is built on core values such as free speech and religious freedom.

Mahdawi dismissed comments made by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who had previously suggested that Mahdawi’s activism could "undermine the Middle East peace process by reinforcing antisemitic sentiment."

"My activism…so he is basically describing being anti-war as antisemitic. How could that be possible when most of my partners at Columbia's campus and beyond are Jews and Israelis? My work has been centered on peacemaking," Mahdawi said, further emphasizing that his ultimate dream is to see an end to the Gaza conflict and a peaceful resolution between Palestinians and Israelis.

MENAFN22042025000045017167ID1109456391