Appeals Court Reverses Mahdawi Release Order on Jurisdictional Grounds, Sidestepping Constitutional Claims

A unanimous Second Circuit panel reversed a Vermont judge's release order for Columbia student Mohsen Mahdawi, ruling the court overstepped by intervening before his immigration case exhausted DOJ proceedings. The panel did not address Mahdawi's claim that he was unconstitutionally targeted for pro-Palestinian speech. The ruling constrains district court oversight of ongoing immigration cases. A similar ruling hit Mahmoud Khalil earlier in 2026.