Mohsen Mahdawi, a 34-year-old U.S. permanent resident who was raised in a refugee camp in the West Bank, was detained in Vermont earlier this month.

Speaking to NPR in his first media interview since his detention, lawful permanent U.S. resident Mohsen Mahdawi finds peace in meditation and hopes "America will fulfill its promise."

Mahdawi, 34, a Columbia University senior and pro-Palestinian antiwar activist has been a legal permanent resident of the U.S. for more than 10 years. He was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials during a naturalization interview on April 14 in Colchester, Vermont.