Appeals Court Overturns Mahdawi Release Order on Procedural Grounds

A federal appeals court unanimously reversed a Vermont judge's order to release Columbia student Mohsen Mahdawi, ruling the judge intervened before his immigration case finished its normal Justice Department process. The court sidestepped his claim that pro-Palestinian speech prompted his detention. The decision limits lower-court oversight of active immigration cases. Mahmoud Khalil faced a similar ruling earlier in 2026.