A judge ordered the release of a Palestinian man who was arrested at his citizenship hearing a few weeks ago. He was arrested because he supports the Palestinian people.
The judge ruled that his detention was wrong, writing “if the Government detained Mr. Mahdawai as punishment for his speech, that purpose is not legitimate, regardless of any alleged First Amendment violation. Immigration detention cannot be motivated by a punitive purpose. Nor can it be motivated by the desire to deter others from speaking.”
The judge condemned the arrests of “legal residents – not charged with crimes or misdemeanors – being arrested and threatened with deportation for stating their views on the political issues of the day.”
When Mahdawai was arrested, he was given a Notice to Appear stating that his “presence and activities in the United States would have serious adverse foreign policy consequences and would compromise a compelling U.S. foreign policy interest.” What foreign policy interest is that exactly?
Mahdawai has repeatedly called for peace, telling 60 Minutes: “The fight for freedom of Palestine and the fight against antisemitism go hand-in-hand because injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
What will happen to him now? The government will have to formally charge him with something if it wants to continue pursuing him but he said that he is not afraid of the Trump administration.
