Columbia University to host activist facing deportation at 9/11 symposium

Columbia University’s Knight First Amendment Institute has scheduled a symposium for September 10 to mark the 25th anniversary of the ‘War on Terror.’ The event will feature Mohsen Mahdawi, a graduate student and prominent leader of pro-Palestinian protests on campus.

Mahdawi is currently facing deportation proceedings. Federal authorities have sought his removal following allegations of supporting terrorist organizations and involvement in violent campus protests in 2024. A federal appeals court previously ruled that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) could detain him while his case proceeds.

The inclusion of Mahdawi has drawn scrutiny regarding the university’s commitment to free speech versus the potential for providing a platform to individuals accused of sympathizing with violence. Mahdawi previously stated he could ‘empathize’ with the perpetrators of the October 7 attacks, though he noted he did not ‘justify’ the massacre.