Columbia University student detained by federal agents in Vermont
COLCHESTER, Vt. (WCAX) - Vermont lawmakers say another student has been detained under President Trump’s new immigration policy - this time in Colchester.
At about noon on Monday, a Palestinian man who lives in Vermont was taken by masked Homeland Security agents at an immigration office. That’s according to state Sen. Becca White, who saw it happen.
“This is a kidnapping!” you can hear White call out in the video she shared with WCAX News.
White says a few weeks ago, the detainee, Mohsen Mahdawi, was asked to attend a citizenship interview. The graduate student at Columbia asked White to join him at the meeting for protection. He lives in her district in White River Junction when not in school.
White says Mahdawi was an avid participant in Columbia’s protests against the state of Israel and believes that’s why he was taken by federal agents.
“There were two adult men, white men, with like hats on, sitting, idling their cars in the parking lot, and that was the first true waving red flag-- this is a setup, ” said White, D-Windsor County.
White says she received a text that Mahdawi was handcuffed and taken by the agents. We have learned that U.S. District Court Judge William Sessions ordered that Mahdawi not be removed from the country or moved out of Vermont pending further order from the court.
We don’t know how Homeland Security will respond to that yet.
White says Mahdawi had a green card and has been living in the U.S. for at least a decade.
In a joint statement, Sens. Bernie Sanders and Peter Welch, and Rep. Becca Balint said: “Earlier today, Mohsen Mahdawi of White River Junction, Vermont, walked into an immigration office for what was supposed to be the final step in his citizenship process. Instead, he was arrested and removed in handcuffs by plainclothes, armed, individuals with their faces covered. These individuals refused to provide any information as to where he was being taken or what would happen to him. This is immoral, inhumane, and illegal. Mr. Mahdawi, a legal resident of the United States, must be afforded due process under the law and immediately released from detention.”
WCAX News also caught up with Welch, who called the situation terrible.
“I think the president should be doing everything to secure the border, I support that. I think we should deport criminals. But I do not believe we should be deporting people who are here legally, just because the president doesn’t like what they say,” said Welch, D-Vermont.
He is being held at the Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans.
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