A federal appeals court on Tuesday overturned a lower court’s ruling last year that released Columbia University graduate and pro-Palestinian activist Mohsen Mahdawi from immigration detention. The New York City-based 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the U.S. district judge in Vermont who ordered Mahdawi's release in April 2025 did not have jurisdiction in the case, which it said should have been handled in immigration court. The appeals court ordered the district judge to dismiss Mahdawi’s lawsuit challenging his detention. Mahdawi, 35, a Palestinian-born lawful U.S. permanent resident for over a decade, said in a statement the decision was a “grave setback” for constitutional freedoms. Mahdawi was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents during a citizenship interview in Vermont, where he lives.