A US court has recently annulled the deportation order against Mohsen Mehdaoui, a Palestinian student at Columbia University, who had been involved in protests against what has been described as an Israeli war of extermination in Gaza. Mehdaoui was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on April 14 while he was undergoing an interview for US citizenship. Although he was released later in April due to an order from a federal judge, the deportation order remained active until Judge Nina Frey identified a procedural error made by government lawyers, leading to the dismissal of the case.

The situation reflects wider concerns around the federal government's crackdown on activists and individuals advocating for Palestinian rights in the US, particularly in educational settings. Many view this ruling as a significant setback for the Trump administration's policies aimed at deporting activists who criticize Israeli actions. The case highlights the ongoing tensions between government policy and free speech, particularly in academic environments where dissenting opinions are increasingly met with legal challenges.

Mehdaoui's statement, released through his lawyers, commended the court's commitment to the rule of law and safeguarding procedural fairness against government overreach. He described the court's decision as an important step toward defending rights that have been threatened by governmental anxiety over dissent and criticism of its policies regarding Israel and Palestine.