Palestinian student remains detained in Vermont with a hearing set for next week

BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — A large crowd of supporters and advocates gathered outside a Vermont courthouse Wednesday to support a Palestinian man who led protests against the war in Gaza as a student at Columbia University and was arrested during an interview about finalizing his U.S. citizenship.

Mohsen Mahdawi, a legal permanent resident for 10 years, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on April 14. He made an initial court appearance Wednesday during which a judge extended a temporary order keeping Mahdawi in Vermont and scheduled a hearing for next week.

Mahdawi’s lawyers say he was detained in retaliation for his speech advocating for Palestinian human rights.

“What the government provided thus far only establishes that the only basis they have to currently detaining him in the manner they did is his lawful speech,” attorney Luna Droubi said after the hearing. “We intend on being back in one week's time to free Mohsen."

In court documents, the government argues that Mahdawi's detention is a “constitutionally valid aspect of the deportation process” and that district courts are barred from hearing challenges to how and when such proceedings are begun.

“District courts play no role in that process. Consequently, this Court lacks jurisdiction over Petitioner’s claims, which are all, at bottom, challenges to removal proceedings,” wrote Michael Drescher, Vermont’s acting U.S. attorney.

According to his lawyers, Mahdawi had answered questions and signed a document that he was willing to defend the U.S. Constitution and laws of the nation. They said masked ICE agents then entered the interview room, shackled Mahdawi, and put him in a car.

“What we’re seeing here is unprecedented where they are so hellbent on detaining students from good universities in our country,” attorney Cyrus Mehta said. “These are not hardened criminals. These are people who have not been charged with any crime, they have also not been charged under any of the other deportation provisions of the Immigration Act.”

Mahdawi is still scheduled for a hearing date in immigration court in Louisiana on May 1, his attorneys said. His notice to appear says he is removable under the Immigration and Nationality Act because the Secretary of State has determined his presence and activities "would have serious adverse foreign policy consequences and would compromise a compelling U.S. foreign policy interest.”

Last month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the State Department was revoking visas held by visitors who were acting counter to national interests, including some who protested Israel’s war in Gaza and those who face criminal charges.

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.

As a student, Mahdawi was an outspoken critic of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and organized campus protests until March 2024.

U.S. Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont, a Democrat, met with Mahdaw i on Monday at the prison and posted a video account of their conversation on X. Mahdawi said he was “in good hands." He said his work is centered on peacemaking and that his empathy extends beyond the Palestinian people to Jews and to the Israelis.

“I’m staying positive by reassuring myself in the ability of justice and the deep belief of democracy,” Mahdawi said in Welch’s video. “This is the reason I wanted to become a citizen of this country, because I believe in the principles of this country.”

Mahdawi's attorney read a statement from him outside the courthouse Wednesday in which he urged supporters to “stay positive and believe in the inevitability of justice.”

“This hearing is part of the system of democracy, it prevents a tyrant from having unchecked power,” he wrote. “I am in prison, but I am not imprisoned.”

Meanwhile, the government is appealing a decision by a different Vermont judge who said another detained student, Rumeysa Ozturk of Tufts University, should be returned to Vermont.

On Tuesday, members of Congress from Massachusetts traveled to Louisiana to meet with Ozturk and Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil. U.S. Sen. Ed Markey and U.S. Reps. Ayanna Pressley and Jim McGovern expressed concern at a news conference Wednesday that the students, as well as other detainees, were being deprived of nutritious meals, sleep and blankets in the cold facilities.

Khalil and Ozturk have not committed any crimes, the delegation said -- they are being unlawfully detained for exercising their right to free speech.

“They are being targeted and imprisoned because of their political views,” McGovern said.

Associated Press writers Kathy McCormack and Holly Ramer in Concord, New Hampshire, contributed to this report.

Protesters gather outside federal court ahead of a hearing for Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian man arrested at a Vermont immigration office during an interview about finalizing his U.S. citizenship and a legal permanent resident who led protests against the war in Gaza at Columbia University, Wednesday, April 23, 2025 in Burlington, Vt. (AP Photo/Amanda Swinhart)

Protesters gather outside federal court ahead of a hearing for Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian man arrested at a Vermont immigration office during an interview about finalizing his U.S. citizenship and a legal permanent resident who led protests against the war in Gaza at Columbia University, Wednesday, April 23, 2025 in Burlington, Vt. (AP Photo/Amanda Swinhart)

Protesters gather outside federal court ahead of a hearing for Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian man arrested at a Vermont immigration office during an interview about finalizing his U.S. citizenship and a legal permanent resident who led protests against the war in Gaza at Columbia University, Wednesday, April 23, 2025 in Burlington, Vt. (AP Photo/Amanda Swinhart)

Mohsen Mahdawi, left, and Mahmoud Khalil participate in a pro-Palestinian protest at Columbia University, Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Protesters gather outside federal court ahead of a hearing for Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian man arrested at a Vermont immigration office during an interview about finalizing his U.S. citizenship and a legal permanent resident who led protests against the war in Gaza at Columbia University, Wednesday, April 23, 2025 in Burlington, Vt. (AP Photo/Amanda Swinhart)

Protesters gather outside federal court ahead of a hearing for Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian man arrested at a Vermont immigration office during an interview about finalizing his U.S. citizenship and a legal permanent resident who led protests against the war in Gaza at Columbia University, Wednesday, April 23, 2025 in Burlington, Vt. (AP Photo/Amanda Swinhart)

Protesters gather outside federal court ahead of a hearing for Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian man arrested at a Vermont immigration office during an interview about finalizing his U.S. citizenship and a legal permanent resident who led protests against the war in Gaza at Columbia University, Wednesday, April 23, 2025 in Burlington, Vt. (AP Photo/Amanda Swinhart)

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are wavering on Wall Street and holding on to most of the gains they made earlier in the week after the U.S. and China declared a temporary cease-fire in their trade war.

The S&P 500 was mostly unchanged Wednesday afternoon. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 86 points, or 0.2% as of 1:04 p.m. Eastern. The Nasdaq rose 0.6%.

The majority of stocks in the S&P 500 lost ground, but several big technology stocks helped counter the losses. Super Micro Computer surged 17.2% after signing a partnership agreement with Saudi Arabian data center company DataVolt. Advanced Micro Devices jumped 5.5% after announcing a $6 billion stock buyback program.

Other big gainers included eToro Group, a retail trading platform for stocks and cryptocurrency. It rose 30% in its first day of trading.

The market has been relatively steady since its surge on Monday, which came after the U.S. and China entered a 90-day pause in their trade war. The market gained some more ground on Tuesday after the government reported that inflation unexpectedly cooled across the country in April. Additional updates on inflation and retail sales are expected on Thursday.

The benchmark S&P 500 index, which sits at the center many 401(k) accounts has erased all its losses since President Donald Trump escalated his global trade war in early April. It has now erased its losses for the year and is back to within 4.2% of its all-time high set in February.

“The stock market’s rally has legs, as the trade negotiation with China was seemingly the toughest one on the docket," said Rick Gardner, chief investment officer at RGA Investments.

Trump has delayed a large swath of his most severe tariffs against America's trading partners, but some import taxes remain in place. Uncertainty over the path ahead continues to hang over businesses and consumers. The on-again-off-again nature of Trump’s trade policy has left companies unable to plan ahead and consumers nervous about spending.

Businesses continue to trim or withdraw their financial forecasts as they face unpredictable trade policy and cautious consumers.

American Eagle fell 4.6% after the retailer withdrew its financial outlook for the year citing “macro uncertainty.” General Motors, UPS, Kraft Heinz and JetBlue are among the many companies representing a wide range of industries that have warned about the impact of tariffs and a weakening economy.

More than 90% of companies in the S&P 500 have reported earnings for their latest quarter. The majority of companies have reported better-than-expected earnings, but forecasts for earnings growth during the current quarter have been broadly cut in half for companies in the index.

The economy has already showed signs of slowing. It shrank 0.3% during the first quarter amid a surge of imports as businesses and consumers tried to stock up amid tariffs and policy uncertainty.

Inflation remains a big concern. The latest data on consumer prices released Tuesday showed that tariffs haven’t had much impact yet. But that could change as the impact of current tariffs make their way through supply chains and delayed tariffs potentially go into effect. Inflation has cooled to just above the Federal Reserve's target of 2%, but the threat of higher prices on goods because of import taxes has heightened worries about inflation heating up.

The U.S. on Thursday will release its April report for inflation at the wholesale level, which is what companies are paying for goods. Economists expect an easing of inflation there.

The latest update Thursday for retail sales is expected to reflect a sharp drop to 0.2% in April from 1.4% the previous month.

Retail giant Walmart will also report its latest financial results on Thursday and its financial forecasts will be closely watched.

In the bond market, Treasury yields edged higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.52% from 4.47% late Tuesday. The two-year Treasury yield, which moves more closely with expectations for Fed action, rose to 4.05% from 4.00% late Tuesday.

In stock markets abroad, indexes rose in Asia and were mixed in Europe.

Specialist James Denaro works at his post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Specialist John McNierney, left, and trader Anthony Carannante work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Trader Edward Curran works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Options trader Chris Dattollo works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Options trader Chris Dattollo, right, works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Currency traders work near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won, right, at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Currency traders work near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), left, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

A currency trader watches monitors near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), top center left, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won, top center, at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)