Judge orders release of Palestinian student in US
Mohsen Mahdawi a Palestinian student.
A federal judge on Wednesday ordered US immigration authorities to release a Palestinian student detained at a citizenship interview earlier this month over his role in Columbia University's Gaza war protests.
Mohsen Mahdawi, who was slated for deportation, struck a defiant tone outside a courthouse in the northeastern state of Vermont.
"I am not afraid of you," he said, addressing US President Donald Trump, whose government has led a crackdown on immigration.
"If there is no fear. What is it replaced with? Love, love is our way."
Mahdawi was arrested on April 14 as he was attending an interview to become a US citizen, his lawyers said in a court filing.
A Palestinian born in the occupied West Bank, Mahdawi has been a legal US permanent resident since 2015.