Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, claimed on X that Mohammad Mahdawi, a Columbia University senior, told a gun shop owner he had firearms experience because he “used to kill Jews,” citing court documents. Mahdawi, who is set to graduate with a philosophy degree, was detained by immigration agents in Vermont last month during what he believed was a citizenship interview.
A federal judge has since released him from detention and barred his deportation while his case continues. The Trump administration has intensified efforts to detain students involved in pro-Palestinian protests following the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. Mahdawi holds a green card and co-founded Columbia’s Palestinian Student Union.
