A Palestinian man who led protests against the war in Gaza as a student at Columbia University was arrested Monday at a Vermont immigration office where he expected to be interviewed about finalizing his U.S. citizenship, his attorneys said.

Mohsen Mahdawi, a legal permanent resident who has held a green card since 2015, was detained at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Colchester by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, his lawyers said.

The attorneys said they do not know where he is. They filed a petition in federal court seeking an order barring the government from removing him from the state or country.

“The Trump administration detained Mohsen Mahdawi in direct retaliation for his advocacy on behalf of Palestinians and because of his identity as a Palestinian. His detention is an attempt to silence those who speak out against the atrocities in Gaza. It is also unconstitutional,” attorney Luna Droubi said in an email.

According to the court filing, Mahdawi was born in a refugee camp in the West Bank and moved to the United States in 2014. He recently completed coursework at Columbia and was expected to graduate in May before beginning a master’s degree program there in the fall.

The petition describes him as a committed Buddhist who believes in “non-violence and empathy as a central tenet of his religion.”

As a student, Mahdawi was an outspoken critic of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and organized campus protests until March 2024. He co-founded the Palestinian Student Union at Columbia with Mahmoud Khalil, another Palestinian permanent resident of the U.S. and graduate student who recently was detained by ICE.

Khalil was the first person arrested under President Donald Trump’s promised crackdown on students who joined campus protests against the war in Gaza. On Friday, an immigration judge in Louisiana ruled that Khalil can be deported as a national security risk.

Christopher Helali, a friend of Mahdawi who lives near him in Vermont, was present outside the immigration office when Mahdawi was detained and recorded a video of Mahdawi being led away by authorities. In the video, which Helali released on social media Monday, Mahdawi is shown giving a peace sign with his hands and being led away to a car.

Helali described Mahdawi as a peaceful demonstrator who has worked to foster dialogue about the struggle of Palestinians in his homeland. Helali said he and Mahdawi were aware that Mahdawi could be detained today and that his friend went forward with the appointment anyway.

“And rightfully so, he was nervous for what was going on around him. But he was very much resolute in coming to this interview and coming today because he didn’t do anything wrong and was a law-abiding citizen, or soon-to-be citizen,” Helali said.

Vermont’s congressional delegation issued a statement condemning Mahdawi’s arrest, saying that instead of taking one of the final steps in his citizenship process, he was handcuffed by armed officers with their faces covered.

“This is immoral, inhumane, and illegal. Mr. Mahdawi, a legal resident of the United States, must be afforded due process under the law and immediately released from detention,” said the statement from Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Peter Welch and Rep. Becca Balint.

Mud season has returned, accompanied by state officials’ annual reminder to stay off soggy trails until they dry out.  

“We encourage the public to get outside this spring, but to avoid closed and muddy trails,” Becca Washburn, the director of lands, administration and recreation for the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, said in a March 31 press release. “Enjoy the spring sunshine on open trails, like paved and gravel bike paths, and save the summit destinations for summer.”

Mud season generally occurs during a six-week period between snowmelt and Memorial Day, according to the department. Due to their increased susceptibility to damage during this period, trail closures, especially in high-elevation areas, can last until late May.

Varying conditions throughout the state mean that the severity and duration of mud season are difficult to predict, according to Claire Polfus, recreation program manager at Vermont’s Agency of Natural Resources.

Marvin Boyd, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service, said the amount of rainfall in Vermont this year is slightly higher than the climatological average over the past 30 years, which could suggest a muddier year.

However, more rain does not necessarily correlate to a worse mud season, especially in terms of road conditions. Conditions deteriorate on wetter roads, but drainage and infrastructure could also impact how long they stay muddy for, he said. 

“There’s no measurement for muddiness,” meaning mud reports are often subjective, he said.

While popular high-elevation areas such as Mount Mansfield typically remain closed until the start of the summer hiking season, The Green Mountain Club has a list of alternatives to popular peaks that close during mud season and seasonal hiking recommendations.

Hiking muddy trails can cause long-term damage since excess foot traffic creates soil compaction — or denser soil that cannot easily absorb water. This leads to increased flood risk, and makes it difficult for vegetation to grow. 

Additionally, hikers can widen the trails by walking along their edges to avoid mud puddles. Doing this can trample vegetation, causing more environmental damage, according to the Green Mountain Club.

Less disruption to the trails during mud season “makes life a lot easier” for trail crews during the remainder of the year, according to Keegan Tierney, the club’s director of field programs. 

Trail maintenance is primarily a volunteer-driven operation, Tierney said, and the responsibility to repair hiker-induced damage often falls upon trail crews and volunteer groups. 

“Our crews are working every summer to fix up our trails,” Polfus said. “Every time we add more to their to-do list, it’s taking away from their overall progress.” 

Although the recommendation to wait out the mud can be frustrating, Polfus said staying off delicate trails is a way individuals can help protect the environment.

“We all have spring fever and want to get out to our favorite place, but Vermonters care, and the best way to care is to just wait until May, or late May,” she said.