Ever since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, pro-Hamas, anti-Israel students on campus have plagued Columbia University, setting up encampments, screaming their call “from the river to the sea/Palestine will be free,” which is a call for Israel to disappear, and the genocidal “globalize the Intifada,” which is essentially a death threat aimed at Jews worldwide. One of the leaders of the Columbia protests was Mohsen Mahdawi, whom an immigration court ordered to be deported to Jordan, an order that he is now appealing. More on Mahdawi’s appeal, based on his claim that he was merely exercising his free speech rights, can be found here: “Anti-Israel Columbia protest leader Mohsen Mahdawi fights deportation to Jordan,” by Michael Starr, Jerusalem Post, June 11, 2026:
Columbia University anti-Israel student activist Mohsen Mahdawi appealed on Wednesday an immigration court order to deport him to Jordan, according to his legal representation, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).Mahdawi, who was arrested last April for undermining US foreign policy and government counter-antisemitism efforts with his pro-Palestinian campus activism, had been ordered removed to Jordan by an immigration judge last Wednesday.The ACLU and other legal representatives on Wednesday appealed to the First Circuit US Court of Appeals and also petitioned the Second Circuit, where his habeas petition is being deliberated.Mahdawi’s legal team argued that his detention and censorship were punitive and served no legitimate purpose.
Mahdawi was not being punished for mere speech, but for his role in the vandalizing of campus buildings, the shutting down of classroom lectures by Jewish and Israeli professors, and the encouraging of fellow protestors to surround Jewish students and prevent their free movement across the campus. Furthermore, he and his fellow protesters were supporting Hamas, which the American government has designated as a terrorist group.
Mahdawi said in a statement that as someone who was born in a Palestinian “refugee camp,” he thought he would be able to build his life in the US with the rights he ostensibly lacked there.
“Now the administration is abusing immigration law to silence me for speaking the truth about Palestinian suffering and genocide. When a government weaponizes immigration to punish speech, millions of immigrants and citizens feel that blow,” he said.
Mahdawi is being deported not because of his speech, but because of his acts as a leader of protests at Columbia that included intimidation of students and professors, vandalism and preventing the free movement of Jewish students on the campus. That is not “speech.”
Mahdawi has been promoting support for Hamas, designated as a terrorist group by the American government, while at the same time he has led protests calling for the destruction of a key American ally, Israel.
Given Mahdawi’s deep and persistent involvement in anti-Israel protests for at least a decade, at whatever school he happened to be enrolled in at the time, one wonders if he was in essence a part-time student and a full time anti-Israel agitator.
The Columbia protests Mahdawi helped lead engaged in far more than free speech. The protesters vandalized university property, disrupted classes that Jewish and Israeli faculty members taught, surrounded Jewish students and prevented their free movement while screaming at them such slogans as “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” which is a call for Israel’s disappearance, and “globalize the Intifada,” which is a call to kill Jews everywhere. Speech calling for genocide is not protected speech.
Mohsen Mahdawi was not being “persecuted for his beliefs.” He was deemed to be undermining American foreign policy by his anti-Israel and pro-Hamas acts. His vandalism, his disruption of classes, his preventing Jewish students from freely moving across campus by surrounding them with protesters screaming their slogans against Israel and for Hamas — these are not expressions of mere “belief,” but hostile acts disrupting the smooth functioning of the university, and terrorizing Jewish students and faculty. He should, and I am certain will, be deported back to Jordan, where he can engage in his anti-Israel activities to his heart’s content.
ploome says
like the legendary hydra,
anyone who attempted to behead the Hydra found that as soon as one head was cut off, two more heads would emerge from the fresh wound.
t
another jihadi…spreading his lies and hate
throw him out
Horatio says
Deportation is too good for this moron.Lock him up for 25 years. Then deport him.
somehistory says
He should never have been allowed to enter. If the rat shida tlaib’s parents had never been allowed in, she wouldn’t be here either.
A judge has ordered him out. Send him packing before he can do any more damage.
The People deserve protection. Tax money should be used for protection. King Solomon wrote, “Money is for a protection.”
James Lincoln says
It’s looking more and more like Columbia University is just one big giant mosque.
somehistory says
James, as you know, wherever they go, they claim it for islime.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Just as students, where do they get these gobs of money to fight these legal cases? Most Americans can’t get such free representation, and would fold if anyone, let alone the government, went after them legally! It’s these groups like the ACLU & CAIR: the Treasury Department, in addition to DHS and DOJ, should go after these organizations aggressively and reduce them to American companies that have gone belly up
But yeah, it’s good that deportation has been ordered. Put him on the next flight to Jordan, and let him demonstrate there whether he’s an asset or liability to that country
ploome says
exactly-
he is 35 years old
who is paying for his tuition, housing, food?
Mike Larkin says
Not an American citizen, 1st Amendment doesn’t cover him being involved in American politics.
Kick every non citizen involved in this sort of garbage out of the country and black list them from ever returning.
WPM says
Even if he where a citizen he was physically threating students and professors because they where Jewish. Harassing students “kidnaping ” that is baring their movement to classes or from leaving classes and acts of vandalism of college property . These acts are criminal ,because he is in this country on a “student visa” he faces deportation . If he was a citizen would face jail time for these crimes .His criminal acts do not fall under the protection of the first amendment .Not being a citizen does not give you full rights of a citizen you are a guest in a country by the grace of the American government .By planning and encouraging rioting ,physical threats against fellow students the government can have a hearing not a trial and deport you .The American government has no obligation beyond we do not want you in this country any longer you are a threat to American citizens because of your criminal behavior .
OLD GUY says
Mahdawi is a student at Columbia here on a Student Visa most likely. Cancel his VISA and deport him.
WPM says
Right the government can do that and should .All the present laws of America back that .He is a guest who abused the privilege of his visa . It has been done in the past it can be done in the present and should be done in the future incidents .