The Smear Campaign Against Mohsen Mahdawi Continues

Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit overturned a lower court’s 2025 ruling ordering the Trump administration to release Palestinian activist and green card holder Mohsen Mahdawi from ICE custody. U.S. Circuit Judge Debra Ann Livingston stated today: “We conclude that the district court should not have reached this question.” The federal Court of Appeals' new ruling underscores the Trump administration's systematic campaign to intimidate and silence those who speak out against Israel’s genocide in Gaza and the U.S.’ role in enabling it.

While the system at large is being weaponized, we must not forget that it is Secretary of State Marco Rubio leading the smear campaign against Mahdawi and other pro-Palestine activists. Rubio claims that Mahdawi’s presence in the United States and his pro-Palestine activism at the student encampments posed “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences." From Mohsen Mahdawi, Mahmoud Khalil, to Rümeysa Öztürk, Dr. Badar Khan Suri, Salah Sarsour and countless others, the Trump administration has weaponized claims of "national security" as a pretext to violate the First Amendment rights of those speaking out against Israel’s genocide, occupation, and apartheid against the Palestinian people.

Even more troubling, the court's ruling demonstrates this administration's desire to shield Israel from accountability over safeguarding the constitutional rights and civil liberties of Americans and lawful permanent residents. Such actions erode the U.S. Constitution and must be stopped. Today’s decision also reflects the Trump administration's desire to manipulate the court systems to fit its authoritarian narrative. In April 2026, the Trump administration fired Roopal Patel and Nina Froes, two immigration judges who initially dismissed the deportation cases of Mohsen Mahdawi and Rümeysa Öztürk, respectively.

What has transpired today, and over the last several months, should scare every American. History has shown us that attacks on one community's civil liberties rarely end there. Therefore, it is important to recognize that defending the First Amendment rights of pro-Palestine advocates ultimately strengthens the rights of all Americans.

American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) expresses its solidarity with Mohsen Mahdawi. For nearly three years, Mohsen has demonstrated a deep commitment to Palestinian human rights while repeatedly defending the rights of his fellow activists who have endured similar abuse.

AMP remains committed to defending the rights of pro-Palestine advocates. Efforts to suppress pro-Palestine voices reinforce the importance of our work and motivate us further to continue educating, organizing, and mobilizing around ending U.S. complicity in Israel's genocide against the Palestinian people.

We call upon people of conscience across the country to reject the weaponization of our legal system against pro-Palestine advocacy and to defend the constitutional freedoms that belong to all Americans. We must continue to speak out against the Trump administration's illegal and fascist campaign of revoking green cards, visas, kidnapping political dissidents, and attempting to deport individuals based solely on their pro-Palestine views.