US appeals court overturns ruling requiring release of pro-Palestinian activist Mohsen Mahdawi

US appeals court overturns ruling requiring release of pro-Palestinian activist Mohsen Mahdawi Submitted by MEE staff on Tue, 07/21/2026 - 18:59 The ruling says Mahdawi's case should have been handled through immigration court, in a move that could tighten restrictions on Green Card holders Columbia University student Mohsen Mahdawi poses for a portrait inside Havemeyer Hall on the Columbia campus in New York City, on 18 May 2025 (Reuters) Off A US appeals court on Tuesday overturned a 2025 ruling that ordered the Trump administration to release Mohsen Mahdawi from immigration detention, a setback for free-speech activists and pro-Palestinian advocates. The ruling does not order Mahdawi's re-arrest, but could set a precedent making it harder for Green Card holders to be released from detention on their claim to First Amendment rights. The 35-year-old, who was studying for a master's degree at Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs, was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents following his participation in campus protests against Israel's genocide in Gaza .