New York, New York - Mohsen Mahdawi, the Palestinian Columbia University student who was arrested during a US citizenship interview, has graduated with a bachelor's degree in philosophy following his bail release earlier this month.

The 34-year-old, who is a green card holder, was a key figure in student-led Palestine solidarity protests on Columbia's campus amid Israel's ongoing assault on Gaza.

Mahdawi wore a keffiyeh over his robe as he walked across the stage to receive his diploma on Monday, and he was greeted with a standing ovation by his classmates, per footage published by CNN.

The celebratory moment comes after weeks of turmoil for Mahdawi, who was arrested by immigration officials on April 14 despite having been a legal resident of the US since 2015.

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Mahdawi was targeted by the Trump administration over his pro-Palestinian protest efforts, and he is not the only student to be arrested so far.

Mahmoud Khalil, the co-founder of a Palestinian student group alongside Mahdawi, was arrested by plainclothes officers with no warrant in March.

Khalil has been in ICE detention in Louisiana since his arrest, and he was forced to miss the birth of his first child after his request to be temporarily released for the delivery was denied.

Following Mahdawi's bail release earlier this month, the West Bank native helped to launch a new legal defense fund for immigrants threatened with deportation.