Federal Judge Frees Palestinian American Imprisoned By Trump

A victory for due process and free speech, and a reminder of the work before us

Today a federal judge ordered the Trump regime to release Palestinian American activist Mohsen Mahdawi from ICE prison. Mahdawi was arrested during his citizenship interiew for his “crime” of speaking of speaking up for Palestinian and Jewish humanity, in calling for an end to the genocide in Gaza.

Upon walking out of the ICE prison, Mahdawi declared, "I am not afraid of you Donald Trump!"—a direct message of courage and defiance to the President and aspiring autocrat. This moment signifies a step toward justice, and serves as a reminder of all those still suffering behind bars. Let’s Address This.

The Moment of Release From ICE Prison

In his order to release Mohsen Mahdawi, Federal U.S. District Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford said Mahdawi’s release was “in the public interest,” adding that continued ICE detention would have a “chilling effect” on protected free speech. He also added that the Trump regime had provided zero evidence that Mahdawi was of any form of danger to the United States or to the American people.

This flies in direct contrast to the claim from Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Mahdawi’s arrest was necessary to stop speech that harmed U.S. foreign policy and support of Israel. Moreover, this ruling serves as important precedent for additional immigrants and legal residents held in ICE prison for their ‘crime’ of speaking up for justice and human rights for Palestinians. While Mahdawi’s release is a welcomed step towards justice, it is a reminder of the work that remains before us.

The Work Before Us

The below image is a non-comprehensive list of Black and brown immigrants detained by ICE for the “crime” of speaking up for justice for Palestine.

The exact “logic” used to detain Mohsen Mahwadi is being used to detain each of the aforementioned individuals. This precedent is devastating for numerous reasons.

• First, because it undermines the basic civil rights of these persons.

• Second, it sets the precedent that the Trump regime can go after anyone it doesn’t like.

• And third, because we know what comes next—concentration camps and death camps, both of which have also already begun. The Trump regime is building a 30,000 person facility concentration camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for migrants, and is already sending innocent people to an El Salvador death camp. And to be sure, we should not be sending guilty people to death camps, either.

Sadly, corporate media remains asleep at the wheel, refusing to loudly sound the alarm on this fascism for what it is. But this is also nothing new.

For example, a March 28, 1933 Seattle Times editorial concluded, “There is no organized mistreatment of Jews in Germany.” Meanwhile, the Jews were on the verge of mass genocide. The Trump MAGA regime has already made clear their desire to repeat the injustices of Hitler’s Nazi regime. The parallels are not hyperbolic, but mirror images. Consider Trump’s strategy to deny due process, ignore the need for warrants, and simply raid the homes of people with impunity.

As the Holocaust Encyclopedia reminds us, this is precisely what Hitler’s Nazi regime enacted as a matter of sustained national policy leading up to the Holocaust.

And let’s also talk about who the Trump regime is not targeting.

There are over 500,000 undocumented white immigrants in the United States. Canadians. Europeans. Some of them overstayed visas, some arrived without documentation at all. But when was the last time you saw ICE raiding their homes, schools, places of worship, or hospitals? You don’t see Ron DeSantis holding them in jail. You don’t see Greg Abbott attacking them in his speeches. You don’t see Trump scapegoating them at his rallies.

Why? Because they have what Trump and his ilk prize most: the complexion for protection. This is a stark reminder of the need for solidarity of all people in this country against these injustices.

Sadly, our lawmakers refused to act when they had the chance. We all recall how law enforcement engaged in no knock raids against Black Americans and killed innocent people like Breonna Taylor in Kentucky and Amir Locke in Minnesota. In fact, in the last decade alone American police have killed dozens of Americans while conducting no knock, often warrantless raids against American citizens under the guise of combatting drug proliferation. And yet, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act failed to pass the Senate in two consecutive sessions because Republicans opposed it and corporate ‘Democrats’ Manchin and Sinema refused to abolish the Jim Crow filibuster to pass it. Is it any surprise that the Trump regime is escalating that policy against all people for any reason?

Conclusion

What happened to Mohsen Mahdawi is not an aberration—it is a warning. It is a warning that the Trump regime is not flirting with fascism, it is enforcing it. It is not gesturing toward authoritarianism, it is codifying it. Mahdawi’s release is a hard-fought victory, but it does not undo the injustice he endured, nor does it release the many others still behind bars for daring to speak out for justice. If the government can arrest someone during a citizenship interview for calling for peace, then no one who dares speak truth to power is safe.

That’s why we must stay vigilant. We must keep organizing, raising our voices, and protecting one another. Because this isn’t just about immigrants. This is about the future of American democracy itself. And while corporate media remains complicit in its silence, we will not be silent. We will expose these injustices, demand accountability, and fight like hell to ensure that this country lives up to its promise of liberty and justice for all—not just for the white, wealthy, and well-connected.

Let Mohsen’s courage be our call to action. Be not afraid. And frankly, speak even if your voice shakes. Let’s not wait for the next name or the next raid to finally act. Let’s act now. Let’s build a nation where no one is imprisoned for their beliefs, where no child fears a knock at the door, and where justice does not come as an exception—but as the rule.