Mohsen Mahdawi grew up in Al-Far’a, a refugee camp near Jenin, Palestine, where his childhood was marked by the trauma of living under Israeli occupation. At twenty-four, he arrived in the United States and experienced freedom and safety for the first time.

That experience was cut short in April 2025 when Mahdawi walked into a Vermont immigration office expecting to complete his U.S. citizenship process. Instead, he was handcuffed and detained. The arrest, widely seen as retaliation for his pro-Palestinian activism, sparked national solidarity.

When speaking about Mohsen, Rev. Karen G. Johnston, the Senior Minister at First Unitarian Universalist Society of Burlington said "Mohsen has been a Unitarian Universalist nearly as long as he has been a Vermonter; he is often heard naming both as part of his wide family whom he embraces and who embraces him. As UUs, we are enriched by Mohsen's spiritual depth, his moral courage, and his authentic commitment to Love at the Center and the possibility of universal healing through justice." 

Mohsen was released from ICE custody, shortly after his arrest, when an immigration judge dismissed his case because she found that the government had not supported its charge with the proper documentation. The government appealed to the Bureau of Immigration appeals, which quickly reinstated the government’s case against him and sent the case back to court. 

Now he is facing a new deportation threat after a three-judge federal appeals panel has overturned the lower court’s ruling that ordered his release from ICE custody. The new ruling could allow the Trump administration to rearrest him.

Mohsen continues to fight his case and contends that his detention is unlawful because the Trump Administration is seeking to expel him for Constitutionally protected free speech.

Under the advice of his legal team, we have created an opportunity for UUs to sign on and show their support for Mohsen as he continues to fight against his deportation. 

You can sign on here, and please share with other members of your congregation!

Mohsen’s spiritual practices of Unitarian Universalism and Buddhism inform and are informed by his championing of human rights through active organizing, peace building, and policy reform.

Learn more about Mohsen Mahdawi at his webpage, and sign up for his newsletter.