Mohsen Mahdawi had been an organizer of pro-Palestinian protests at the university. The Trump administration is trying to deport him for it.

A judge on Wednesday released Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian man who led protests against the war in Gaza as a student at Columbia University and was arrested by immigration officials during an interview about finalizing his U.

Speaking to NPR in his first media interview since his detention, lawful permanent U.S. resident Mohsen Mahdawi finds peace in meditation and hopes "America will fulfill its promise."