Columbia's Mohsen Mahdawi, fresh out of U.S. detention, walks the graduation stage

Columbia University student Mohsen Mahdawi, recently detained by federal immigration officials for his pro-Palestinian activism, walked across a graduation stage on Monday, blowing a kiss, bowing, and flashing peace signs to a roaring, largely standing crowd.

Mahdawi, 34, who formally receives his degree in philosophy in October, according to the event program, painted a scale of justice in gold on his graduation cap, also adorned with symbols of refugees, hope and love. Curled around his neck was a keffiyeh, a symbol of Palestinian resistance and independence.

“The people who know me, they know that my heart is for justice and for peace,” Mahdawi said in an interview, referencing the crowd’s cheers. He said the Trump administration’s “attempts to smear and tarnish my name has no place here.”

A White House spokesperson defended the administration’s actions in a statement.

“President Trump and his administration maintain the belief that studying in America is a great privilege, not a right," White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said. "We continue to hold that any non-citizen who seeks to harm US national security or foreign policy interests as a guest in our country, or who commits crimes while here, should be promptly deported."

Mahdawi has not been convicted of any crimes.

A green-card holder who grew up in the West Bank, Mahdawi is among several pro-Palestinian university students detained by the Trump administration and put into deportation proceedings on grounds that their views amounted to antisemitism and were harmful to U.S. foreign policy.

Mahdawi spent 16 days in an immigration detention center in Vermont, the state where he has a permanent residence. On April 30, a federal judge ordered Mahdawi's immediate release while his deportation case continues. Federal judges in a flurry of rulings have held that the students and others facing deportation had been improperly denied opportunities to contest their detentions.

Mahdawi said going to graduation was the culmination of long-held dreams. He recalled growing up in the Al-Fara'a refugee camp, escaping over a fence — and eventually making his way into Jerusalem to secure a visa at the U.S. embassy.

"Today is the beginning of a new stage for that child, for his ambition and dreams," Mahdawi said, adding that his family watched the ceremony online from the refugee camp.

But Mahdawi also said graduation was a bittersweet reminder of his vexed relationship with Columbia University administrators.

He alleges the administration "seriously discriminated" against him and other pro-Palestinian students by barring them from holding events on campus and failing to respond to concerns about doxing, discrimination, and potential immigration enforcement.

At the same time, the Trump administration has canceled $400 million in federal funding for Columbia, citing what Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said was "relentless violence, intimidation, and antisemitic harassment" on campus.

Columbia spokesperson Millie Wert issued a statement in response to Mahdawi's remarks.

"Columbia deeply values the principles of free speech and free expression as well as the rights of our students to obtain an education free from harassment and discrimination," Wert said. "University policies and rules are designed to protect free expression, our students, and the University’s ability to execute on its core academic mission. Additionally, the University has put into place a wide range of support services for our students, including anti-doxxing support, anti-discrimination training, and mental health support services.”

Mahdawi said he wasn’t done advocating for Palestinians, noting the continuing loss of life in Gaza. Israeli forces have killed more than 53,000 Palestinians since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas militants killed more than 1,200 Israelis and took some 250 hostage, according to tallies by the Associated Press.

"It's surreal to look at the past, to view that pain and suffering and dreams," Mahdawi said. “ And surreal to look towards the future knowing that I am marching towards my dream.”

Mahdawi will receive a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the Columbia School of General Studies, for nontraditional undergraduate students. He said he plans to attend Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs in the fall.

This article was updated with additional comment.