By CTN Newsroom | With reporting from Storyful | April 21, 2025
U.S. Senator Peter Welch has publicly called for the release of Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian student at Columbia University who was detained while attending an immigration appointment in Vermont.
The senator met with Mahdawi on Monday, April 21, at the detention center where the student is currently being held.
In footage shared by Storyful, Senator Welch stands alongside Mahdawi and expresses support for his release, stating that “Mohsen should be released so he can become an American citizen.”
Mahdawi, a legal permanent resident of the United States for the past ten years, was in the process of applying for U.S. citizenship when he was detained on Monday, April 14, during a routine appointment at an immigration office in Colchester, Vermont.
According to media reports, Mahdawi had recently taken part in pro-Palestinian demonstrations on the Columbia University campus in New York. While the circumstances surrounding his detention remain unclear, the case has raised concerns among immigrant rights advocates and free speech defenders alike.
In a video clip released by Senator Welch’s office and obtained by Storyful, Mahdawi speaks calmly and reflectively from inside the detention center.
“My work has been centered on peacemaking,” Mahdawi says. “And all that I’m doing, I am being a human. My empathy, as I mentioned before, extends beyond the Palestinian people, and my empathy extends to the Jews and to the Israelis.”
The 30-second video highlights Mahdawi’s message of nonviolence and coexistence. His words stand in stark contrast to the contentious political environment surrounding campus protests and immigration enforcement.
Senator Welch’s visit signals growing political interest in the case and brings national attention to Mahdawi’s detention. While U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has not yet issued a formal statement, civil liberties groups have raised questions about whether Mahdawi’s political activism played a role in his arrest.
For now, Mahdawi remains in custody, awaiting clarification on his immigration status as pressure mounts for his release.
This report is based entirely on information provided by Storyful.
