US Appeals Court Overturns Release of Columbia Activist Mahdawi

A federal court has ruled in favor of President Donald Trump’s campaign in a lawsuit that targeted foreign student protesters. The decision, issued by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, dismissed the campaign’s claims that the protests violated federal law and upheld the right of the students to engage in lawful assembly on university campuses.

The campaign had sued a group of international students who organized demonstrations against the administration’s policies, alleging that the protests were coordinated by foreign governments to influence U.S. politics. The court found insufficient evidence of any unlawful coordination and emphasized that the students’ actions fell within protected free‑speech rights. The ruling is the latest in a series of legal battles the campaign has pursued against student activism, and it leaves the protests continuing without further judicial interference.