Mahdawi walked out of the Burlington courthouse to shouts and applause from supporters gathered on the sidewalk.

Mohsen Mahdawi, a 34-year-old U.S. permanent resident who was raised in a refugee camp in the West Bank, was detained during his April 14 naturalization interview in Vermont.

Vermont District Judge Geoffrey Crawford ordered the release of Mahdawi from prison on bail, pending the court's ruling on the habeas petition challenging his detention, according to a statement by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which is part of his legal representation.