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A U.S. Immigration judge ruled that the Trump administration cannot deportMohsen Mahdawi, a key organizer of pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University, his attorneys said Tuesday.

In the ruling, judge Nina Froes said the administration failed to certify a memo that it had hoped to use as evidence in its case to remove Mahdawi from the U.S. The document was signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The judge said that the administration "sought to establish removability by way of a photocopy of a document," adding that the filing is relevant to the case, but "it is not admissible as it lacked proper authentication."

In the memo, Rubio alleged that Mahdawi's "presence and activities in the United States would have serious adverse foreign policy consequences and would compromise a compelling U.S. foreign policy interest."

The Trump administration has used similar reasoning to try to deport other foreign students, who were active in the pro-Palestinian protests at college campuses or who were critical of Israel.

As a result of the error, Mahdawi's removal proceedings were terminated last week, the immigration judge said.

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"I am grateful to the court for honoring the rule of law and holding the line against the government's attempts to trample on due process," said Mahdawi. "This decision is an important step towards upholding what fear tried to destroy: the right to speak for peace and justice."

The immigration court ruling was filed by Mahdawi's attorneys in the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York City, where he is challenging his arrest and detention, which remains ongoing.

Mahdawi, a U.S. permanent resident born and raised in a refugee camp in the West Bank, was detained last year during his naturalization interview in Vermont as part of the administration's crackdown on pro-Palestine protests on college campuses.

Still, the federal government could appeal the immigration judge's decision, however, it remains unclear whether they intend to do so.

In a statement to NBC News, a DHS spokesperson said, "It is a privilege to be granted a visa or green card to live and study in the United States of America."

The spokesperson added, "No activist judge, not this one or any other, is going to stop us from doing that."

JERUSALEM (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump'sBoard of Peaceisset to meetfor the first time on Thursday in Washington, an early test of whether one of his marquee foreign policy initiatives can gain broad support and advance the shaky ceasefire agreementin the Gaza Strip.

Board of Peace Explainer

Trump'sballooning ambitionsfor the board extend from governing and rebuilding Gaza as a futuristic metropolis to challenging the United Nations Security Council's role in solving conflicts. But they could be tempered by the realities of dealing with Gaza, where there has so far been limited progress in achievingthe narrower aimsof the ceasefire.

Palestinians, including many civilians, are still being killed innear-daily strikesthat Israel says are aimed at militants who threaten or attack its forces. Hamas hasn't disarmed, no international forces have deployed, and a Palestinian committee meant to take over from Hamas is stuck in neighboring Egypt.

"If this meeting does not result in fast, tangible improvements on the ground — and particularly on the humanitarian front — its credibility will quickly crumble," said Max Rodenbeck, Israel-Palestine Project Director at the International Crisis Group, a global think tank.

A new international body

More than two dozen nations have signed on as the board'sfounding members.

The list includes Israel and other regional heavyweights involved in ceasefire negotiations, as well as countries from outside the Middle East whose leaders support Trump or hope to gain his favor. U.S. allies like France, Norway and Swedenhave so far declined.

Israelis are suspicious of the involvement of Qatar and Turkey, which have longstanding relations with Hamas. Palestinians object because their representatives weren't invited to the board, even as it weighs the future of a territory that is home to some 2 million of them.

Trump, the self-appointed chairman of the board, said earlier this week that member countrieshad pledged $5 billiontoward rebuilding Gaza and would commit thousands of personnel to peacekeeping and policing. No financial pledges — or an agenda for this week's meeting — have been made public.

"We want to make it successful. I think it has the chance to be the most consequential board ever assembled of any kind," Trump told reporters on Monday. He reiterated his criticism of the U.N.'s record on resolving international disputes.

Ambitious plans

Trump — along with son-in-law Jared Kushner and envoy Steve Witkoff — has laid out ambitious plans for rebuilding Gaza with international investment.

In Davos last month,Kushner suggestedreconstruction could be complete in a matter of three years, even though U.N. forecasts suggest that clearing rubble and demining alone could take much longer.

Kushner's slides showed a reconstructed Gaza with a coastal tourism strip, industrial zones and data centers. He conceded that rebuilding would begin only in demilitarized areas and that security would be essential to attract investment.

The latest joint estimate by the U.N., European Union and World Bank says reconstruction will cost about $70 billion.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said there will be no reconstruction until Hamas disarms, leaving Palestinians in limbo among the widespread devastation.

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Halting progress

The ceasefire deal has halted major military operations,freed the last hostagesheld by Hamas and ramped up aid deliveries to Gaza. But a lasting resolution to the two-year war ignited byHamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attackinto Israel remains elusive.

The deal envisions Hamas handing over its weapons and Israeli forces withdrawing from Gaza as international forces deploy. Itleft some questions unanswered and set no timelineto secure buy-in and defer confrontation over those issues.

Israel and the U.S. say Hamas' disarmament is key to progress on the other fronts. Arab and Muslim members of the Board of Peace have accused Israel of undermining the ceasefire with its daily strikes and want the U.S. to rein in its close ally. They have called on Hamas to disarm but say Israel's withdrawal is just as important.

Israel defines demilitarization as extending from heavy weapons like rocket-propelled grenades all the way down to rifles. Netanyahu said Sunday that Hamas would have to give up roughly 60,000 automatic rifles.

Despite accepting the agreement, Hamas has made only vague or conditional commitments to disarm as part of a process leading to the establishment of a Palestinian state. Senior Hamas officials have saidtheir security forcesneed to retain some weapons in order to maintain law and order during the transition.

Some of the ideas under discussion include Hamas "freezing" its arms by placing them in sealed depots under outside supervision or giving up heavy weapons while keeping some handguns for policing, according to two regional officials involved in the negotiations. One official said disarmament is a complicated process that could take months. The officials requested anonymity to discuss the negotiations.

It's far from certain that Israel or the United States would agree to such ideas.

A stabilization force

The ceasefire deal also calls for a temporary International Stabilization Force made up of soldiers from Arab and Muslim-majority countries to vet, train and support to a new Palestinian police force. Its mandate is not spelled out in detail, but would include securing aid deliveries and preventing weapons smuggling.

Countries being asked to contribute to the force insist that any deployment be framed as a peacekeeping mission. They have refused to take part in the disarmament of Hamas, a job that could put them in harm's way. Another concern is the presence ofarmed groups allied with Israel.

Indonesia has begun training a contingent ofup to 8,000 soldiersfor the force, though its foreign minister said last week that they would not take part in disarmament.

Postwar governance

Under the ceasefire agreement, Hamasis to hand over powerto a transitional committee of politically independent Palestinian administrators. The U.S. has named a 15-member committee and tapped former U.N. envoy Nickolay Mladenov to oversee them as the board's envoy to Gaza.

The committee, led by former Palestinian Authority deputy minister Ali Shaath, has not yet been granted Israeli permission to enter Gaza from Egypt. Israel hasn't commented on the matter.

Mladenov said last week that the committee will not be able to work unless Hamas hands over power and ceasefire violations stop.

"We're only embarrassing the committee and ultimately making it ineffective," he said at the Munich Security Conference. "All of this needs to move very fast."

__ Magdy reported from Cairo. Aamer Madhani in West Palm Beach, Fla. contributed reporting.

An ecological crisis of "historic proportion" is underwayin the Potomac Riverafter a massive sewer pipe collapse north of Washington, D.C., the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday.

The millions of gallons of diseased waste polluting the major waterway that winds through the nation's capital is one of the largest sewage spills in U.S. history, according to theUniversity of Maryland.

E.coli bacteria levels in the Potomac were hundreds of times higher than the level the EPA considers safe when the water was tested this week at the site of the spill, officials from utility company DC Water said Tuesday.

Some 243.5 million gallons of raw sewage have poured into the Potomac since the Jan. 19 mishap, DC Water said.

But the waters near the capital city's Georgetown neighborhood fell within the EPA's safety limits when tested on Monday and weren't a risk for gastrointestinal illness and skin infections — largely because the river has been frozen over for weeks.

DC Water has told area residents to avoid the untreated sewage. They urge anyone who comes into contact with the wastewater to leave the area immediately, wash exposed skin thoroughly with soap and clean water, and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.

Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Squad in Maryland is warning their first responders to treat any emergency calls in or near the Potomac River spill site as "Hazmat calls," NBC Washington reports. Responders should wear personal protective equipment during those calls due to the dangerous levels of E. coli and other contaminants in the water.

As for the politics around the water crisis, those continued to be toxic.

"The Potomac Interceptor overflow is a sewage crisis of historic proportion," the EPA said in their first statement on the disaster. "Never should any American family, community, or waterway ever have to experience this level of extensive environmental damage."

The EPA, it said, has "the experience and track record to fulfill President Trump's strong desire to get this mess cleaned up as fast as humanly possible."

But, the EPA says, neither officials in Maryland, where the sewage pipe burst, nor in Washington, D.C., have sought the EPA's help.

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The EPA's claim came on the same day that Trumpposted on Truth Socialthat the spill is "not at all" handled by the federal government and that if the governors of Maryland and Virginia, and the D.C. mayor — all three of whom are Democrats — want federal assistance, they will have to ask "politely" for help.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore rejected the president's claims and said it was indeed the federal government's responsibility.

"I know this is breaking news to everyone, but the President is not telling the truth," Moore said.

Moore said it's been the job of the federal government to maintain that pipe "for the past century" and that thus far, Maryland's Department of the Environment has been fixing the pipe and cleaning-up the mess while the EPA has done nothing.

"Now that it is essentially 99% contained," Moore said, "the President of the United States is finally realizing that this was his job, and he hasn't been doing it for the past month."

The 54-mile Potomac Interceptor carries about 60 million gallons of wastewater every day from as far away as Dulles Airport in Sterling, Virginia, to the Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant in Southwest D.C. for treatment.

By Jan. 24, crews from DC Water were able to complete a bypass to reroute wastewater around the collapsed section of pipe and back into the sewer system.

The remaining emergency repairs to the pipe will be complete by mid-March, according to DC Water.

The long-term fixes to ensure that this pipe remains functional in the years to come will take 9 to 10 months, they said.

"The next critical step is to install a steel bulkhead gate later this week to isolate the damaged pipe section,"DC Water said in a statement. "Once the gate is in place, crews will work to pump out any remaining wastewater at the collapse site and start excavation to remove the rock dam that has been blocking inspection and repair."

It's also safe to drink the water in the nation's capital.

"There is no impact to the drinking water supply," DC Water Spokesperson Sherri Lewis told NBC Washington. "The sewer system, the water system are completely separate."

Peter Suder tossed in a game-high 23 points and No. 22 Miami (Ohio) remained undefeated by beating Massachusetts 86-77 in a Mid-American Conference matchup Tuesday night in Amherst, Mass.

Luke Skaljac added 16 points for Miami (26-0, 13-0 MAC), which is the only undefeated team in Division I.

The RedHawks also received a 13-point performance from Almar Atlason and 11 points from Eian Elmer.

Miami made 26 of its 52 field goal attempts. The RedHawks have shot 50.0% or better from the field in 20 of their 26 games.

Isaiah Placide scored a career-high 19 points for UMass (15-12, 6-8 MAC). Placide made 5 of 7 3-point attempts.

Leonardo Bettiol added 18 points and nine rebounds for UMass, but he fouled out with 2:58 to play. Bettiol was called for four fouls in the second half. Danny Carbuccia had 15 points and six assists and Marcus Banks scored 11 for the Minutemen, who suffered their third straight loss.

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Miami entered the contest leading the MAC in scoring (92.6), field goal percentage (53.6%) and 3-point field goal percentage (40.1%). The RedHawks made 10 of their 23 3-point attempts.

UMass was within two following a Placide free throw with 2:14 left in the first half, but Miami had a 41-36 halftime lead. The RedHawks never trailed in the half, and led by as many as nine. Placide had 13 points in the half, including four 3-pointers.

UMass had its first lead after a Placide layup put the Minutemen up 62-60 with 9:24 to play, but a three-point play by Suder gave Miami a 76-70 lead with 4:59 remaining.

From there, the RedHawks salted it away from the foul line and led 85-75 with 1:20 left.

Tuesday's game was the second time the RedHawks and Minutemen have met this season. Miami pulled out an 86-84 home victory Jan. 27.

--Field Level Media

MADRID (AP) — Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni has denied racially insulting Real Madrid forwardVinícius Júniorduring a Champions League match when he covered his mouth with his jersey.

Portugal Champions League Soccer

"I have never been racist with anyone and I regret the threats that I received from Real Madrid players," the 20-year-old Argentina forward, who faces a potential 10-match ban if found guilty of racial abuse in UEFA's disciplinary code, said on X. The European soccer governing body said Wednesday it has appointed a special investigator to gather evidence.

Benfica said Prestianni was the victim of a "defamation campaign."

TheChampions Leagueplayoff game at Benfica's Stadium of Light was halted for nearly 10 minutes on Tuesday after the referee initiated the anti-racism protocol, which is the standard procedure when a player alleges being abused. Cameras picked up Vinícius telling French referee François Letexier that Prestianni called him a "monkey."

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said he was "shocked and saddened to see the incident of alleged racism" and praised the referee for activating the anti-racism protocol.

"There is absolutely no room for racism in our sport and in society," Infantino said on X. "We need all the relevant stakeholders to take action and hold those responsible to account."

Benficashowed supportfor Prestianni on Wednesday, with the Portuguese club claiming that Madrid players who said they heard the insult were too far away.

Benfica later released a statement saying it welcomed UEFA's investigation and that it "fully supports and believes the version presented" by Prestianni, "whose conduct while with the club has always been guided by respect" toward everyone.

Benfica fans had reacted angrily to Vinícius celebrating his 50th-minute goal by dancing by the corner flag, throwing bottles and other objects toward the Madrid players. Prestianni then confronted Vinícius and said something while covering his mouth with his jersey.

Madrid, which won 1-0, hosts the second leg on Feb. 25 with the overall winner advancing to the round of 16 in European club soccer's top competition.

'Racists are cowards'

After the match, Vinícius posted a photo on Instagram of him celebrating by the Benfica corner flag. He wrote: "Racists are, above all, cowards. They need to cover their mouths with their shirts to show how they are weak. ... Nothing that happened today is new to me in my life and in my family's life. I was shown a yellow card for celebrating a goal. I still don't know why."

Madrid players said they considered leaving the field but eventually decided to continue playing.

Vinícius covered his mouth with his hands several times, as many players do, while talking to teammates and opponents.

Benfica posted a video on X.

"As the images show, given the distance, the Real Madrid players couldn't have heard what they have been saying that they heard," Benfica said.

Benfica had already postedPrestianni's statementalong with the words: "Together, by your side."

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Prestianni defends himself

Prestianni insisted that Vinícius misunderstood what was said, while Benfica players after the match reportedly said the Argentine provoked the Brazil forward but never racially insulted him.

"I want to clarify that at no time did I direct racist insults at the player Vinícius Júnior, who unfortunately misinterpreted what he thought he had heard," Prestianni said.

He did not say why he covered his mouth.

The referee appeared to show that he did not hear anything and gestured that Prestianni had the shirt over his mouth. Vinícius, who is Black and has been repeatedly subjected to racist abuse in Spain, went to the sideline and sat in the dugout while play was stopped.

Prestianni was not shown a yellow card and continued playing. He was substituted in the 81st and was applauded by Benfica fans.

Kylian Mbappé was among the Madrid players who strongly defended Vinícius andposted on X: "Dance, Vini, and please never stop. They will never tell us what we have to do or not."

The France great also said Prestianni should never play in the Champions League again.

Some online videos on Wednesday appeared to show a few Benfica fans doing monkey gestures from the stands.

Kick It Out criticizes Mourinho's remarks

Benfica coach José Mourinho criticized Vinícius for celebrating by the Benfica flag. He spoke with both players and said he did not want to say he believed one over the other.

Mourinho said he told Vinícius that the greatest player in Benfica's history — Eusébio — was also Black, but seemed to question why the Madrid player was so frequently targeted by racist abuse.

Anti-discrimination groupKick It Outcriticized Mourinho's remarks.

"When anyone reports discrimination in football, or anywhere, the first priority is that they are listened to and feel supported," it said.

"Focusing on Vinicius Jr.'s goal celebration or the history of the club, instead of acknowledging the report, is a form of gaslighting.

"This approach not only harms the individual affected but also sends the wrong message to others around the world who may have experienced similar situations."

AP soccer:https://apnews.com/hub/soccer