‘What is left of our democracy?’: freed Palestinian human rights advocate warns of US authoritarian rule

<p>Mohsen Mahdawi, student detained by Ice last month, pens blistering attack on Trump’s deportation policies</p><p>Mohsen Mahdawi, the Palestinian green-card holder and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/columbia-university">Columbia University</a> student <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/30/mohsen-mahdawi-released-immigration-detention">freed</a> on Wednesday after more than two weeks in immigration detention, has issued a stark warning about the US’s descent into authoritarianism.</p><p>“Once the repression of dissent, in the name of security, becomes a key objective of a government, authoritarian rule and even martial law are not far off. When they look at my case, all Americans should ask themselves: what is left of our democracy, and who will be targeted next?” said <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/02/opinion/mohsen-mahdawi-ice-detention.html?partner=slack&amp;smid=sl-share">Mahddawi in an op-ed for the New York Times</a>.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/law/2025/may/03/mohsen-mahdawi-trump-deportations">Continue reading...</a>