On April 14, Columbia University student Mohsen Mahdawi was captured in video when he took a peace sign away from the immigration office in Colchester, Virginia. He told NPR Morning version He arrived at the interview and after 10 years of living and studying in the United States, he would be his last step to becoming an American citizen.

Instead, he was arrested in his homeland security jacket by masked agents after undergoing a naturalization interview and signing documents that guarantee allegiance to the United States and protecting and defending the constitution.

In a media interview with any risk of deportation from the Trump administration, Mahadawi spoke to Leila Fadel of the Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans, Virginia, who was in a petition in a petition where administration officials violated his first amendment, in violation of his first amendment.

Prior to the interview, he said he had been meditating to find calmness, just like he did every day.

"I am internally centered. I am peaceful. While I still know deeply that this is the level of injustice I face, I have confidence. I believe justice will prevail."

Mahdawi, a legal American resident who grew up in a Palestinian refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, is one of several international students facing deportation – ostensibly advocating on several campuses of Israel’s Gaza war in Gaza.

His lawyer argued in a federal court in Vermont that Mahadawi was detained “in retaliation for his speeches in claiming Palestinian human rights” and that his arrest and detention was part of a policy “to keep speeches of those who advocate Palestinian rights silent and calm.”

The Justice Department filed new court documents on Monday, including a two-page letter from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, noting that "Mahadawi's activities and presence in the United States undermined U.S. policy against anti-Semitism." It added that protests like those in Mahdavi in ​​Colombia “have the potential to undermine the peace process in the Middle East” where efforts to cease fires stagnate.

Currently, Hamas still takes about 59 hostages in Gaza, and according to Israel, about half of the hostages are believed to be dead. Meanwhile, Israel has been in Gaza’s aid for eight weeks, while Palestinians are hungry while enduring daily attacks.

The court application on Monday provided no evidence of allegations against Mahadawi in the letter, including threatening remarks and intimidation of Israeli bystanders. The government argues that the federal court in Vermont should not approve Mahadaway’s request for release because it has no jurisdiction in foreign policy matters.

The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to NPR's request for comment.

Mahdawi's attorney Luna Droubi said the allegations in the letter were "completely wrong" in response to court documents. Mahdawi has always spoken out against anti-Semitism.

"Mr. Mahdawi is a man of complete principles and he believes in the human dignity of everyone," she told NPR. "The government is just scratching the bottom of the barrel, trying to find something, which simply leads students to advocate for the punishment of Palestinian rights."

The following interview has been edited in detail.

His faith in justice will prevail:

First, I saw the people of Vermont, the people of the United States making a voice saying that this is unjust and we don’t accept it giving me faith. Secondly, I believe in a democratic system and I have confidence in the judicial system here. The last one is the most important to me, and it gives me faith to see the resilience and strength of my people in Gaza. After all the pain and destruction and the genocide they experienced, they still insist on hope and have a strong sense of confidence.

Note: Mahdawi calls what happened in Gaza a genocide. This is also the response of Israel and international human rights groups such as B'TSelem, the Human Rights Center of the Israel Information Center, Amnesty International believes Israeli response in Gaza after Hamas attacked Israel. According to the Israeli government, the 2023 attacks killed nearly 1,200 people and Hamas took 251 hostages. Israel denies allegations of genocide.

During the decade of free experience in the United States:

Before coming to this country, freedom is just a concept. But the practical experience of freedom of movement traveling between 50 states, the freedom to breathe the ocean breeze and feel the toes on the beach. This is the first place I have experienced this freedom of speech, and I will not be retaliated or punished for saying my thoughts.

Do I still feel this way? I think this is dangerous. I think it is not only for me, but for the American people who care about freedom, the right to life, freedom and the pursuit of happiness. I hope this country can fulfill its promise.

On the day he was detained:

When I get a date, the first thing is uh…is it a trap or is it legal? I realized directly that I was dealing with two extreme poles. One is becoming a citizen with full rights, and the other is detained and has no rights.

I see risks, I see opportunities, and I hope Americans see that too. Check out this level of injustice. I'm doing everything for the law that prepares and studies the Constitution, and I'm willing to obey the law and do everything the way I should.

About his first amendment:

When I talk about injustice, I remember Martin Luther King. When he says injustice anywhere, it threatens justice anywhere. The injustice I face here and the injustice faced by the anti-war movement are also related to the injustice experienced by the Palestinian people.

We are talking about 55,000 people being killed. We see children being killed, amputated, lost parents, and have no home. This is what touches us. When I signed the promise of allegiance, I signed the protection and defense of the Constitution. I am here to practice my constitutional rights and not to appeal for any damage to anyone, and not to fight anyone. I mean we need peace. We need to stop the war. We hope that children, all children, live peacefully, without fear and trauma.

Note: Gaza health officials say more than 52,000 people have been killed since October 7, 2023.

Regarding the government's allegations that his ongoing presence in the United States will have adverse effects on foreign policy, he allegedly "advocating violence, honoring and supporting terrorists and harassing Jews":

The government is heating up the American people, especially the American Jewish community. In fact, we have so many Jews and Israelites who are now joining our current ceasefire. So they are actually weapons for anti-Semitism to destroy the hope that the United States has, namely the hope of universities and liberal institutions. They are actually part of the checks and balances of the country, any democratic country.

His hopes of becoming an American citizen:

I think I'm still American? I showed my will and my desire to be an American from my home in Vermont. The U.S. government denied my chances by establishing me, actually cheating me. So it is now up to the American people to decide the path they are going to take, whether there is a path they welcome me as a citizen of this country. I also want to remind everyone that the definition of government in the Constitution, that we and my people are counting on people I have the opportunity to know, like good people, good people to support the right things.