Mohsen Mahdawi graduated from Columbia University with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy Monday, less than three weeks after he was released from immigration custody after being detained at what he was told was a U.S. citizenship interview.
Mahdawi — who helped lead pro-Palestinian protests on Columbia’s campus in 2023 — was greeted by cheers and applause as he returned to accept his diploma, donning a blue graduation cap with the scales of justice depicted on the top. After the event, he periodically stopped to flash peace signs or take photos with other graduates.
In an interview with CBS News shortly before the ceremony, Mahdawi said he felt a “mix of emotions” — including a “feeling of being victorious.”
“They didn’t want me to graduate. They didn’t want me to be educated. They didn’t want me to be out of prison,” Mahdawi said. “And I am out because of the good people in this country and the democratic system.”
He plans to return to Columbia in the fall to pursue a graduate degree.
Mahdawi, who has a green card, was detained by immigration officials in mid-April for allegedly posing a risk of “adverse foreign policy consequences.” He was released on April 30 by a Vermont federal judge who, in a scathing order, said Mahdawi was likely being punished for protected speech.
Mahdawi said he has “conflicting feelings” about his time at Columbia, citing the war in Gaza and the continued detention of fellow Columbia activist Mahmoud Khalil. He was also critical of Columbia’s handling of his case, saying the school “let me down” by not offering him more protection. CBS News has reached out to Columbia for comment.
Mahdawi added, “I’m not going anywhere, and I’m going to continue my education here as well.”
He told CBS News after the ceremony he saw his classmates’ reactions as a “message of acknowledgement for the work that I have been doing, and an acknowledgement for what people desire. They want to see justice and peace in this country.”
“It doesn’t matter what the Trump administration is trying to say or how to paint me. Come and listen to the people who know me,” he added.
What to know about Mohsen Mahdawi’s case
Mahdawi was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in Vermont in mid-April after arriving for what he was told was a citizenship interview. A day beforehand, he told CBS News he feared the appointment was a “honey trap.” He remained in immigration custody for just over two weeks, until U.S. District Judge Geoffrey Crawford ordered his release earlier this month.
Despite his release, Mahdawi’s case remains active as a judge reviews the issue.
The Trump administration is seeking to deport Mahdawi under a law that allows the government to revoke visas if the secretary of state believes somebody’s presence in the U.S. poses “serious adverse foreign policy consequences.” Mahdawi argues his detention violated the First Amendment by punishing him for protesting.
The administration has also accused Mahdawi of “threatening rhetoric and intimidation of pro-Israeli bystanders,” which he has denied, telling CBS News last month, “antisemitism has no place in our movement.”
In an interview with CBS News a week after his release, Mahdawi called the government’s argument for detaining him “laughable”: “A person who has been vocally advocating for justice and peace is undermining U.S. policy?” he said.
Mahdawi is one of several students to face detention after their involvement in pro-Palestinian activism, with the government often citing the “foreign policy consequences” law.
Another Columbia University student, Mahmoud Khalil, still remains in custody in Louisiana after he was detained on March 8, as the Trump administration pushes for his deportation and he sues for his release. And Tufts University graduate student Rumeysa Ozturk was released earlier this month at the orders of a federal judge, over a month after her detention — which her lawyers say was prompted by nothing more than an op-ed that she co-wrote in the campus newspaper.
Shortly after the commencement, Mahdawi spoke at a vigil for other students who have faced immigration scrutiny, including Khalil and Rajani Srinivasan, yet another Columbia student who self-deported to Canada after her visa was revoked.
The administration has defended the moves. Secretary of State Marco Rubio argued in March “we have a right” to take away visas and indicated the practice could continue.
“We do it every day. Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visa,” Rubio said.
