More Than Two Dozen Israeli Citizens File Court Document Backing Columbia Student Mohsen Mahdawi

A group of Israeli citizens revenge a ineligible archive this week successful support of Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian student astatine Columbia University who was taken into custody during his naturalization question and reply successful April before he was released connected bail.

The 26 Israeli citizens, astir of whom are module members and students astatine nan Ivy League schoolhouse successful New York, revenge an amicus little backing Mahdawi, a pro-Palestinian activist, successful his ongoing migration case. The authorities revenge an entreaty arguing that nan national territory tribunal did not person jurisdiction complete Mahdawi’s claims and truthful did not person nan authority to merchandise him astatine nan extremity of April. It called for a reversal of nan territory court’s decision. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is expected to perceive nan lawsuit successful nan coming weeks.

The Israeli citizens who revenge nan little opportunity the apprehension and detention of Mahdawi, whom they telephone a “driving force” down efforts to foster serene relations betwixt Israelis and Palestinians connected campus, violated some his First Amendment authorities and theirs. It is besides nan first clip that Israeli citizens person revenge successful support of student activists targeted by nan Trump administration.

Amicus briefs purpose to supply expertise aliases penetration to nan court, but nan group who record them are not parties successful nan lawsuits themselves.

“In arresting and detaining Mohsen, nan Government sought to stifle Mohsen’s pro-peace, pro-Palestine advocacy,” nan little says. “But nan intended effect of nan Government’s actions toward Mohsen was to onslaught a rustle against nan broader activity for bid successful Israel/Palestine,” which includes nan group who revenge nan brief.

Mohsen MahdawiAmanda Swinhart / AP file

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said successful consequence to questions astir nan arguments successful nan little that it is simply a “privilege to beryllium granted a visa aliases greenish paper to unrecorded and study successful nan United States of America.”

“When you advocator for violence, glorify and support terrorists that relish nan sidesplitting of Americans, and harass Jews, that privilege should beryllium revoked, and you should not beryllium successful this country,” nan spokesperson said.

Mahdawi, a U.S. imperishable resident who grew up successful nan al-Fara’a exile camp, is expected to return to schoolhouse for nan autumn semester to prosecute a master’s degree. In April, he walked into what he believed was nan “final stage” of a agelong pathway to citizenship, his attorneys said successful tribunal filings. The question and reply turned retired to beryllium a “trap,” nan attorneys said.

“ICE agents, masked and visibly armed, entered nan question and reply room and shackled Mr. Mahdawi,” tribunal filings said.

Officials said successful tribunal documents that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had wished that Mahdawi’s “presence and activities successful nan United States would person superior adverse overseas argumentation consequences and would discuss a compelling U.S. overseas argumentation interest.”

The Israeli citizens’ little argues that Mahdawi is nan “antithesis of nan government’s portrayal of him.” It describes his efforts to actively build ties betwixt Israelis and Palestinians connected nan Columbia campus, including establishing a group that would prosecute successful regular dialogue.

“There tin beryllium nary speech betwixt Israelis and Palestinians without Palestinians, and Mohsen initiated these conversations, was nan first Palestinian to participate, and made it imaginable for different Palestinians to join,” nan little says.

Those down nan amicus little besides said Mahdawi was committed to fighting antisemitism. At a field pro-Palestinian protestation successful 2023, for example, he led a crowd successful chanting “shame connected you” aft a personification began shouting antisemitic and anti-Black statements, nan little says. Mahdawi appeared connected nan CBS News show “60 Minutes” to talk astir nan incident, saying, “The conflict for nan state of Palestine and nan conflict against antisemitism spell manus successful hand, because injustice anyplace is simply a threat to justness everywhere.”

Others person besides joined successful support of students nan Trump management has targeted because of their activism. A conjugation of American Jewish organizations and congregations, including nan Jewish Center for Justice, New York Jewish Agenda and J Street, revenge an amicus little successful a abstracted lawsuit to backmost Tufts University student Rümeysa Öztürk, who was arrested and detained for 2 months aft she co-wrote an effort astir Israel and nan warfare successful Gaza.

Öztürk, who was pulled disconnected nan thoroughfare by masked agents successful plainclothes adjacent her Massachusetts campus, was released successful May arsenic her migration lawsuit continues. The authorities is appealing her transportation from Louisiana to Vermont, which nan territory tribunal granted successful April, arguing that nan tribunal did not person nan authority to let nan move.

In nan amicus brief, nan Jewish groups rejected nan government’s argument, penning that Öztürk’s detention violated nan “most basal law rights.”

Victor Kovner, an lawyer who revenge nan little successful nan Öztürk case, told NBC News that nan groups’ connection to nan Trump management is to “stop utilizing antisemitism arsenic a limb to onslaught their critics.”

“Antisemitism is existent and growing, but nan Trump management is utilizing it arsenic a pretext to soundlessness its critics aliases onslaught universities,” he said. Kovner besides said that upon seeing nan video of Öztürk’s arrest, galore Jews “reacted pinch scary that this could return spot successful nan United States successful 2025.”

“We tin conflict antisemitism without trampling connected basal law freedoms,” he said.