Judge says Trump administration can't move detained Palestinian student out of Vermont

A federal judge blocked officials Wednesday from moving a Palestinian student from Columbia University who was taken into custody during his naturalization interview in Vermont.

A federal judge blocked officials Wednesday from moving a Palestinian student from Columbia University who was taken into custody during his naturalization interview in Vermont.

U.S. District Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford extended a previous temporary restraining order that keeps the student, Mohsen Mahdawi, in the state, where he is a resident. Mahdawi is being held at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Vermont.

Lawyers for Mahdawi, a pro-Palestinian activist, had filed a motion for his release, arguing that he is not a flight risk. 

“Mr. Mahdawi has deep community ties, a long history of being actively invested in the peace process, and nearly 80 individuals who can attest to his character,” the filing said.

However, Crawford declined to rule whether the federal government can continue to detain Mahdawi, or whether the court has jurisdiction over his habeas petition challenging his detention. The judge set a hearing for next week, at which he could decide to release him.