WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) this morning published an opinion piece in the Boston Globe entitled: “Detained activist Mohsen Mahdawi: ‘A prisoner of this White House.’” 

In his piece, Senator Welch outlined the dangers and consequences of the Trump Administration’s determination to run roughshod over the First Amendment. Senator Welch highlighted his recent meeting with Mohsen Mahdawi, a Columbia University student and lawful permanent resident who was arrested earlier this month.

Detained activist Mohsen Mahdawi: ‘A prisoner of this White House’ 
By U.S. Senator Peter Welch 
Published April 29, 2025, by the Boston Globe 

Mohsen Mahdawi has every right to be angry. But when I visited him in Vermont on Monday, his message was one of hope.

Mahdawi’s arrest in Colchester, Vt. — at an immigration office for what he believed was to be a meeting in the process of becoming a U.S. citizen — is an outrageous example of the Trump administration’s determination to run roughshod over the First Amendment. Mahdawi has been a resident of White River Junction for more than a decade and is a green card holder. His only “offense” was voicing his opposition to the war in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis that imperils millions of innocent Palestinians.

Mahdawi, detained in ICE custody, is here legally and he has acted legally. He is entitled to freedom of speech under the Constitution. He must be immediately released. 

Read Senator Welch’s full opinion piece in the  Boston Globe. 

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