Appeals Court Reverses Ruling That Freed Columbia Activist Mahdawi

On July 21, 2026, the Third Circuit reversed Judge Geoffrey Crawford's 2025 order releasing Mohsen Mahdawi from immigration detention. Crawford had found Mahdawi held the same free speech rights as US citizens. The appeals court ruled on jurisdictional grounds — whether the lower court had authority to hear the case — not constitutional merits. Mahdawi, a lawful permanent resident charged with no crime, now faces renewed deportation proceedings.