WASHINGTON — Vermont Rep. Becca Balint is showing her support for a detained Upper Valley man and Palestinian activist by holding a rally in Washington, D.C., to call for his release.

Balint was joined by Sen. Bernie Sanders and other Democratic lawmakers outside the U.S. Department of State to demand answers about Mahdawi’s arrest.

Mahdawi was arrested earlier this month by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents while at a naturalization interview in Colchester as he continued to seek full citizenship within the United States. The Columbia University student has lived in the country legally since 2014 and is a resident of Hartford.

He gained attention for his role in organizing the pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University and for speaking out against the war in Gaza.

However, the Trump administration defended Mahdawi’s detainment in federal court filings, due to his role in the organization of those pro-Palestinian protests. Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Mahdawi of “reinforcing antisemitic sentiment.”

“Protests of the type led by Mahdawi potentially undermine the peace process underway in the Middle East,” Rubio said.

Earlier this month, Balint and other lawmakers sent a letter to Rubio, requesting more information about the decision to classify Mahdawi’s speech as a threat to U.S. foreign policy, and provide evidence to Congress.

Sanders called Mahdawi’s detention “illegal,” and called for his immediate release.

“If you can pick up a legal resident off the streets, throw them into a car and put him in jail, without any due process, that could happen to you,” he said.

The court documents filed this week also argued that the district court in Burlington does not have jurisdiction to order a release under the habeas petition and that Mahdawi has “less robust” First Amendment rights since he is not a U.S. citizen.

The documents also refer to an incident at a gun shop in Windsor, Vermont, stating that Mahdawi made antisemitic statements. The government claims that Mahdawi used “unexplained sources of wealth” to travel internationally and acquire illegal drugs. However, he has never been convicted of a crime.

The documents include a written response from Mahdawi himself, addressing what he calls misrepresentations. He addressed the allegation of illegal drugs, attributing that claim to a trip across the border in Canada, where he says medication and vitamins he uses for back pain were seized.

Mahdawi also addressed the incident at the gun shop in Windsor, denying those claims that he made antisemitic comments while there.

The response filed by Mahdawi’s layers included declarations from Mahdawi’s doctor, who treated him for back pain, along with his current roommate in White River Junction, and a representative from the Burlington Community Justice Center.

Mahdawi’s lawyers have argued that his First Amendment rights have been violated and that he has not been given due process.

He is due back in court Wednesday.