Palestinian Student Remains Detained in Vermont with a Hearing Set for Next Week

Mohsen Mahdawi speaks at a protest on the Columbia University campus on November 9, 2023 in New York City. (Getty Images via AFP)
Mohsen Mahdawi speaks at a protest on the Columbia University campus on November 9, 2023 in New York City. (Getty Images via AFP)
TT
20

Palestinian Student Remains Detained in Vermont with a Hearing Set for Next Week

Mohsen Mahdawi speaks at a protest on the Columbia University campus on November 9, 2023 in New York City. (Getty Images via AFP)
Mohsen Mahdawi speaks at a protest on the Columbia University campus on November 9, 2023 in New York City. (Getty Images via AFP)

A large crowd of supporters and advocates gathered outside a Vermont courthouse Wednesday to support a Palestinian man who led protests against the war in Gaza as a student at Columbia University and was arrested during an interview about finalizing his US citizenship.

Mohsen Mahdawi, a legal permanent resident for 10 years, was arrested April 14 at the US Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Colchester, Vermont, by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. He made an initial court appearance Wednesday during which a judge extended a temporary order keeping Mahdawi in Vermont and scheduled a hearing for next week.

Mahdawi’s lawyers say he was detained in retaliation for his speech advocating for Palestinian human rights.

“What the government provided thus far only establishes that the only basis they have to currently detaining him in the manner they did is his lawful speech,” attorney Luna Droubi said after the hearing. “We intend on being back in one week's time to free Mohsen."

In court documents, the government argues that Mahdawi's detention is a “constitutionally valid aspect of the deportation process” and that district courts are barred from hearing challenges to how and when such proceedings are begun.

“District courts play no role in that process. Consequently, this Court lacks jurisdiction over Petitioner’s claims, which are all, at bottom, challenges to removal proceedings,” wrote Michael Drescher, Vermont’s acting US attorney.

According to his lawyers, Mahdawi had attended his interview, answered questions and signed a document that he was willing to defend the US Constitution and laws of the nation.

“It was a trap,” his lawyers said.

They said masked ICE agents entered the interview room, shackled Mahdawi, and put him in a car. A judge later issued an order barring the government from removing him from the state or country.

“What we’re seeing here is unprecedented where they are so hellbent on detaining students from good universities in our country,” attorney Cyrus Mehta said. “These are not hardened criminals. These are people who have not been charged with any crime, they have also not been charged under any of the other deportation provisions of the Immigration Act.”

Mahdawi is still scheduled for a hearing date in immigration court in Louisiana on May 1, his attorneys said. His notice to appear says he is removable under the Immigration and Nationality Act because the Secretary of State has determined his presence and activities "would have serious adverse foreign policy consequences and would compromise a compelling US foreign policy interest.”

Last month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the State Department was revoking visas held by visitors who were acting counter to national interests, including some who protested Israel’s war in Gaza and those who face criminal charges.

According to the court filing, Mahdawi was born in a refugee camp in the West Bank and moved to the United States in 2014. He recently completed coursework at Columbia and was expected to graduate in May before beginning a master’s degree program there in the fall.

As a student, Mahdawi was an outspoken critic of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and organized campus protests until March 2024.

US Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont, a Democrat, met with Mahdaw i on Monday at the prison and posted a video account of their conversation on X. Mahdawi said he was “in good hands." He said his work is centered on peacemaking and that his empathy extends beyond the Palestinian people to Jews and to the Israelis.

“I’m staying positive by reassuring myself in the ability of justice and the deep belief of democracy,” Mahdawi said in Welch’s video. “This is the reason I wanted to become a citizen of this country, because I believe in the principles of this country.”

Mahdawi's attorney read a statement from him outside the courthouse Wednesday in which he urged supporters to “stay positive and believe in the inevitability of justice.”

“This hearing is part of the system of democracy, it prevents a tyrant from having unchecked power,” he wrote. “I am in prison, but I am not imprisoned.”



Pandemic Accord, Tightened Budget on Menu at Big WHO Meet

The World Health Assembly is taking place at WHO headquarters in Geneva from May 19 to 27. Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP
The World Health Assembly is taking place at WHO headquarters in Geneva from May 19 to 27. Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP
TT
20

Pandemic Accord, Tightened Budget on Menu at Big WHO Meet

The World Health Assembly is taking place at WHO headquarters in Geneva from May 19 to 27. Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP
The World Health Assembly is taking place at WHO headquarters in Geneva from May 19 to 27. Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP

Next week promises to be a crucial one for the World Health Organization, with member states coming together in Geneva to adopt a landmark pandemic agreement and a slimmed-down budget amid US funding cuts.

Dozens of high-ranking officials and thousands of delegates are set to gather for the United Nations health agency's annual decision-making assembly, due to last from May 19 to 27.

"This huge gathering comes... at a pivotal moment for global health," Catharina Boehme, WHO's assistant director-general for external relations and governance, told reporters.

It comes as countries are confronting "emerging threats and major shifts in the landscape for global health and international development", she said.

More than five years after the emergence of Covid-19, which killed millions of people, much of the focus next week will be on the expected adoption of a hard-won international agreement on how to better protect against and tackle future pandemics.

After more than three years of negotiations, countries reached consensus on a text last month but final approval by the World Health Assembly is needed -- a discussion expected to take place on Tuesday.

'Without the US'

The United States, which has thrown the global health system into crisis by slashing foreign aid spending, was not present during the final stretch of the talks.

US President Donald Trump ordered a withdrawal from the WHO and from the pandemic agreement talks after taking office in January.

The agreement "is a jab in the arm for multilateralism, even if it is multilateralism in this case without the US", said a European diplomat who asked not to be named.

The WHA will be called upon to ratify the adoption of the agreement and to launch an intergovernmental working group to negotiate technical details of the so-called Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing System (PABS), said negotiations co-chair Anne-Claire Amprou.

Core to the agreement, that system will be aimed at allowing the swift sharing of pathogen data with pharmaceutical companies, enabling them to quickly start working on pandemic-fighting products.

Once the PABS annex is completed and adopted at the 2026 WHA, "the whole (agreement) will open for signature", Steven Solomon, WHO's principal legal officer, told reporters.

Ratification by 60 states will be needed for the accord to come into force.

Deep cuts

Also high on the agenda next week will be the dramatic overhaul of WHO operations and finances.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told member states last month that the agency would need to slim down due to deep US funding cuts.

The agency has been bracing for Trump's planned full withdrawal of the United States -- by far its largest donor -- next January.

The United States gave WHO $1.3 billion for its 2022-2023 budget, mainly through voluntary contributions for specific projects rather than fixed membership fees.

"The loss of US funding, combined with reductions in official development assistance by some other countries, mean we are facing a salary gap for the next biennium of more than $500 million," Tedros said on Wednesday.

Tedros has not said how many jobs will be lost, but on Wednesday he announced the organization would cut its leadership team nearly in half.

Budget gap

Next week, member states will vote on a proposed 20-percent increase of WHO's mandatory membership fees for the 2026-27 budget period, Boehme said.

Members already agreed in 2022 to increase the mandatory fees to cover 50 percent of the WHO budget.

Without that decision, Tedros said Wednesday that "our current financial situation would be much worse -– $300 million worse".

"It is essential, therefore, that member states approve this next increase, to make another step towards securing the long-term financial sustainability and independence of WHO."

Countries will also be asked to adopt the 2026-2027 budget, at a time when development assistance funding, including for health resources, are dwindling globally.

"We have proposed a reduced budget of $4.2 billion for the 2026-2027 biennium, a 21-percent reduction on the original proposed budget of 5.3 billion," Tedros said.

If the increase in membership fees is approved, the WHO estimates it can raise more than $2.6 billion, or more than 60 percent of the budget.

"That leaves an anticipated budget gap of more than $1.7 billion," Tedros said.