His first comment to the media since detaining in a naturalization interview in Vermont on April 14 when Columbia student Mohsen Mahdawi said he believed he would not be deported.

Mahdawi, a 34-year-old permanent resident of the United States, was born and raised in a refugee camp on the West Bank, and he spoke from the NPR's Morning News at the Northwest State Correctional Institution in St. Albans, Vermont. He accompanied one of his lawyers.

“I’m inward-centered, I’m in peace,” Mahdawi told NPR in her golden glasses and blue uniform. "While I still know deeply that this is the level of injustice I face, I have confidence. I believe justice will prevail."

Mahdawi explained that he had confidence because people condemned his arrest in their voices. But it is also because he believes in the "democratic system" of the United States and is inspired by the resilience of the Gaza people, he said that despite his genocide, he still sticks to his beliefs.

Mahadawi grew up in a refugee camp in Alfara'a, witnessed Israeli military violence and was shot dead by an Israeli soldier at the age of 15, according to court documents. He immigrated to the United States a decade ago and began attending Columbia University in 2021, and last year he became a leading organizer of the pro-Palestinian protests on campus.

He told NPR that before moving to the United States from the Israeli-occupied West Bank, "freedom is just a concept." He added that after his arrest, his freedom is now in danger.

"I think this is a red flag not only for me, but for the American people who care about freedom, the right to life, freedom and the pursuit of happiness," Mahadawi said. "I hope this country can fulfill its promise."

On April 14, Mahdawi walked into the last step he believed to be a U.S. citizen. He told NPR he believed This could be a "trap", especially after another passport holder, Mahmoud Khalil, was detained a month ago. However, Mahadawi still appears in an empty embassy and is told he has no plans to conduct a naturalization interview. He was soon arrested by ice sheet agents who wore cover and were obviously armed, according to court documents.

Mahdawi told NPR he was worried that agents would take him to Louisiana, as they did with Khalil, to isolate him from his community and Vermont’s legal support, who is a resident. They missed a few minutes of flight, and Mahadawi's lawyers were able to convince the judge to detain him in Vermont, a successful decision by the Trump administration in terms of revocation.

Mahdawi's lawyers have since argued that the Trump administration has violated his First Amendment right to freedom of speech. They did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Now sitting in Vermont’s Correctional Institution, Mahdawi quoted Martin Luther King Jr. Jr. in an interview with NPR: “Injustice everywhere threatens justice everywhere.”

“The injustice I face here and the injustice that the anti-war movement is facing is also related to the injustice that the Palestinian people are experiencing,” he said. “We are talking about 55,000 people killed. We see children killed, amputated, lost parents, and no home. That’s what drives us.”

To U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, they claimed that Mahdawi's "existence and activities in the United States will have serious adverse foreign policy consequences", he said it was a form of tanker.

“The government is burning the American people, especially the American Jewish community,” he said. “In fact, we have so many Jews and Israelis who are actually talking with us about ‘Ceasefire now’. So they are actually weaponizing anti-Semitism to undermine the hopes of the United States, namely universities and liberal institutions.”

White House representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Mahdawi added that despite this, he still wants to be an American—he has shown his will and desire to be a human being.

"I also want to remind everyone of the definition of government in the Constitution," he said. "'Our people', I expect me to have the opportunity to know good, good people, to support the right things."

The judge will decide whether Mahdawi will be released or deported, according to a hearing scheduled for Wednesday.