Appeals Court Halt on Mahdawi Deportation | Raleigh News

A federal appeals court has overturned a lower court’s decision that would have freed pro-Palestinian activist Mohsen Mahdawi, reopening the door for his potential re-arrest after over a year of legal battles. The panel ruled the original judge overstepped by intervening too early in the immigration process, leaving Mahdawi’s deportation order intact. While the court didn’t address whether Mahdawi was unfairly targeted for his criticism of Israel — a key argument for his defense — he’ll now have to go through immigration courts first before returning to federal court. Born in a refugee camp and naturalized in 2015, Mahdawi was arrested in April 2025 during a citizenship interview as part of a broader crackdown on non-citizens critical of Israel. His ACLU lawyers argue he shouldn’t be detained or deported while his appeal is pending, calling the ruling a “grave setback” that empowers the government to silence dissent. The government contends activists like Mahdawi and fellow student Rumeysa Ozturk shouldn’t have used habeas corpus during active immigration proceedings — a claim his lawyers reject, citing the lack of fairness under the Trump administration. The court still plans to rule on Ozturk’s case. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/bb2cd20e0dbd557b