Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin blasted a federal judge’s decision on Tuesday and said the Trump administration will fight the ruling that blocked efforts to deport Mohsen Mahdawi. “No activist judge, not this one or any other, is going to stop us from doing that,” McLaughlin said, reiterating the administration’s resolve to revoke Mahdawi’s visa after the court’s decision.
According to Fox News and other media reports, a federal immigration judge, Nina Froes, terminated the government’s deportation case against Mahdawi on procedural grounds, finding that federal attorneys failed to properly authenticate a key piece of evidence they submitted in the proceedings. Because of that error, Froes ruled the government had not met its legal burden to justify removal.
Mahdawi, a 34-year-old Palestinian and legal U.S. resident who has been active in pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University, praised the judge’s decision as a defense of due process. In a statement released by his attorneys, he said he was “grateful to the court for honoring the rule of law and holding the line against the government’s attempts to trample on due process” and called the ruling a step toward protecting free speech rights.
The case stems from Mahdawi’s detention by immigration agents in April 2025 during what he believed was a citizenship interview in Vermont. He was held for more than two weeks before being released on bail after filing a habeas corpus petition. The removal proceedings were part of a broader Trump administration effort targeting noncitizen students whose activism officials say could undermine U.S. foreign policy interests.
The federal judge last year released Mahdawi despite federal authorities reporting suspected drug offenses and his reported claim to try to purchase a machine gun, shortly after arriving in the United States, as reported by VDC.
The judge’s order today was issued “without prejudice,” meaning the government could choose to appeal the decision or attempt to bring the case again using corrected evidence. The administration’s statements suggest it intends to pursue further legal avenues in its push to cancel Mahdawi’s immigration status.