Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian graduate student and long-term legal permanent resident, has been spared deportation after an immigration judge terminated his case due to procedural errors by government attorneys. Judge Nina Froes found that the government failed to properly certify evidence documents.

Mahdawi, who was born in a refugee camp in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, led protests at Columbia University against Israel and the Gaza conflict. The Trump administration had attempted to deport him under a directive suggesting that noncitizens whose presence might affect U.S. foreign policy could be removed. This ruling reflects broader legal challenges to deportations of pro-Palestinian campus activists.

Although the government may appeal, the decision temporarily protects Mahdawi's right to remain in the country and emphasizes the importance of procedural correctness in immigration cases.