Palestinian anti-Israel student protest leader, Mohsen Mahdawi, is facing deportation due to his activism that undermines efforts to end the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, according to a memo written by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Mahdawi and another pro-Palestinian activist, Mahmoud Khalil, were targeted for deportation based on a Cold War-era law that Rubio argued was violated by their campus activities. The memo also accused Mahdawi of engaging in threatening rhetoric and intimidation. However, Mahdawi's lawyers and supporters, including lawmakers in Vermont, argue that he has been a bridge-builder fostering dialogue between student groups on both sides of the protest movement.