Jayapal Statement on the Release of Mohsen Mahdawi

WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ranking Member of the Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee, released the following statement after Mohsen Mahdawi was released from ICE detention.

“Today, our legal system worked: Mohsen Mahdawi was finally released from ICE detention after being unlawfully detained for more than two weeks. Mohsen is a legal permanent resident who followed the law and was lured to a fake citizenship appointment where he was kidnapped by masked, hooded men. He has done nothing wrong other than use his constitutionally protected right to free speech. His detention was a disgrace and a threat to all of our liberties.  

“Mohsen’s detention once again shows that Donald Trump lied when he said he was only going after ‘the worst of the worst.’ Instead, he has been launching an all-out assault on free speech rights and the very due process that our legal system is built on. Mohsen’s release is a testament to him and his family, his attorneys, and to the public that refused to back down — understanding that an attack on Mohsen Mahdawi is an attack on all of us. If Trump can do this to him, he can do the same to any of us. The First Amendment is not up for debate. Trump’s authoritarian playbook will not stand. We will not back down – and will continue our fight for justice for Mahmoud Khalil, Kilmar Abrego Garica, Rümeysa Öztürk, Alfredo Juarez Zeferino, and all the other immigrants kidnapped by this administration.”

Issues: Civil Rights, Immigration