MONTPELIER, VT -- Earlier on April 14th, Mohsen Mahdawi—a legal resident of the United States and longtime member of the Upper Valley community—was detained by masked, armed, plainclothes individuals while attempting to complete the final step in his citizenship process at a federal immigration office in Colchester.

Despite adhering to every requirement of the U.S. citizenship process, Mr. Mahdawi was taken without explanation, without due process, and without his family or legal counsel being informed of his whereabouts. This conduct undermines the trust Vermonters place in our institutions. It is not only inhumane and immoral - it is illegal. Mr. Mahdawi is entitled to due process under the U.S. Constitution.

“This is not just an isolated incident; it is part of a dangerous pattern of government overreach. Governor Phil Scott has failed to take meaningful action to challenge Trump’s violations of fundamental rights. His failure to lead is disappointing,” said Vermont Democratic Party Chair Jim Ramsey. “When our neighbors are treated unjustly and when due process is ignored, we trust our elected officials to act. We need leaders who will stand up for the rights of every member of our community.”

The Vermont Democratic Party calls for Mr. Mahdawi’s immediate release. We condemn this unjust detention in the strongest possible terms. We demand full transparency from federal authorities. And we urge Governor Scott to stop standing on the sidelines and defend the rights of all Vermonters—because no one should be secretly detained for doing exactly what our systems ask of them.