The Department of Homeland Security has put an employee on leave in response to a Daily Wire story that revealed that one of the people tasked with “vetting” immigrants to the U.S. was a former spokesperson for the designated terrorist group the Palestinian Liberation Organization, who continues to support Hamas.
Nejwa Ali, an Adjudication Officer with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), “has been placed on administrative leave,” spokesman Matthew Bourke said Wednesday evening.
Ali, whose social media says she is “American born” but “Palestinian @ heart,” continued to support Hamas even after The Daily Wire’s story was published Wednesday morning.
“I abso-f—ing-lutely celebrate [Palestinian hang-gliders], a–hole, f— you!” she said.
UPDATE: DHS/USCIS says the former PLO spox has been placed on administrative leave from her job vetting immigrants.
PLUS NEW AUDIO: She reaffirmed her allegiance to Hamas THIS AFTERNOON, saying of hang-gliders: "I abso-fucking-lutely celebrate them, asshole, fuck you!" https://t.co/BJry1EisZe pic.twitter.com/FPrQbjAPak
— Luke Rosiak (@lukerosiak) October 18, 2023
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) wrote a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Thursday, writing “I am glad to see that she has now been placed on administrative leave—but that is not enough. If these reports are accurate, you must terminate her employment immediately.”
“As Secretary, you must assure the American people that those charged with determining who enters the United States do so impartially and without prejudice,” Hawley said, and asked for records involving every immigration case handled by Ali involving a Palestinian or Jew.
“What safeguards are in place in the asylum adjudication process to remediate any abuses committed by strongly prejudiced immigration officers?” he asked.
Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) said, “This person needs to be fired today. Dangerous radicals like this have no business being employed with taxpayer dollars.”
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) said it was “alarming” that Ali was in charge of vetting migrants, because holding the same views as Ali was sufficient to boot foreigners from the U.S.
“Federal law is clear that any alien who ‘endorses or espouses terrorist activity or persuades others to endorse or espouse terrorist activity or support a terrorist organization’ is inadmissible and must be deported,” he wrote.
On Ali’s LinkedIn, she said her DHS job was to “Conduct affirmative interviews with applicants;” “Perform credible fear interviews by reviewing evidence, credibility, and determine admissibility;” and “Coordinate with Fraud Detection National Security team in order to determine fraud or security concerns.”
Years of public comments raised questions about whether she would block people who, like her, supported Hamas. She posted pictures of Hamas terrorists parachuting into the Jewish state with guns, writing “Free PALESTINE,” and said “I hold every Israeli accountable for their governments [sic] actions, IF they do not speak against Israel.”
“F— Israel and any Jew that supports Israel,” she posted this month.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) said it is “Despicable that there are people in our government who are openly supporting – and praising – terrorists. She should be fired immediately.”
The House Committee on Homeland Security wrote that “Amid brutal Hamas terrorist attacks on our ally and following the death of over 30 Americans, a DHS asylum officer is cheering on Israel’s ‘downfall’ and pushing anti-Semitic hate,” calling on Mayorkas to “take action immediately.”
Sen. Ted Cruz said it is “Indefensible. This antisemitic radical should be fired immediately.”
Some have pushed for huge numbers of Palestinians to be brought to the U.S. as a result of the conflict in the region. It was the job of people like Ali to vet them and determine whether they were a threat to the U.S. or should be allowed in.
Emilio Gonzalez, who ran USCIS in the Bush administration, told The Washington Times that “The PLO is a designated foreign terrorist organization … The fact that she worked for them and then was hired by the Department of Homeland Security tells me that somebody dropped the ball with her background checks.”
Asked if she had disclosed her employment by the PLO, Ali told The Daily Wire “That’s none of your f***ing business.”
Ali is not the only person with ties to a foreign country working in a national security role. This month, Rep. Jack Bergman (R-MI) noted that Yousra Fazili, the chief of staff to the Pentagon’s CFO, worked for three years serving Qatar at its embassy in Washington. Hamas’ leadership live in Qatar, and Qatar has said Israel is “solely responsible” for Hamas’ terrorist attacks.
The Pentagon’s claim that it “has properly vetted Ms. Fazili’s openly acknowledged relationship with one of the two primary sponsors of Hamas” provides “little comfort,” he wrote.
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