The war between Hamas and Israel has been a horror on many levels, both great and small, expected and unexpected. One surprising footnote to the conflict has been the suspension of a USCIS officer, Nejwa Ali, for supposedly supporting Hamas. Here, we’ll talk about what led to Ms. Ali’s suspension. We’ll also discuss the practical and political ramifications of her case.
Nejwa Ali started her career as an Asylum Officer at the Department of Homeland Security in July 2019. She worked at my local office in Virginia, though I do not recall ever having had a case with her. In January 2023, Ms. Ali became an Adjudication Officer at USCIS, where she remained until recently, when she was put on administrative leave.
Before she started at DHS, Ms. Ali worked as a Public Affairs Officer for the Palestine Liberation Organization in Washington, DC (the office was ordered closed by the Trump Administration). She also worked for Amideast, which provides education and training to people in the Middle East and North Africa, and for UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees.
A number of Ms. Ali’s social media posts–both from before and since the current war–have become public (though her Twitter and Instagram accounts seem to have now been shut down). Some recent examples of her online statements include: “Fuck APARTHEID Israel and any Israeli that supports that bullshit,” “Free PALESTINE” with a photo of a gun-totting and masked terrorist paragliding into Jerusalem, a video entitled “FUCK Israel and any Jew that supports Israel,” and “Israeli, American privilege is disgusting. When Israelis acknowledge the government and military are solely responsible for the attack. Period.”
A few of Ms. Ali’s older online statements have also resurfaced. One post from 2015 calls upon Barack Obama to boycott Israel. Another post from 2016 complains that Republicans obsess about Israel, but that the average voter knows nothing about the Israeli occupation of Palestine. What’s interesting about these older posts is that someone took screen shots of them in 2019, and these screenshots only became public last month. This makes me wonder–Who took these screen shots in 2019 and why? I’ve heard from my contacts in USCIS that Ms. Ali was outspoken about her views, and so perhaps someone who knew her saved these screen shots to use against her.
There are a few issues here worth discussing. The first is whether DHS should have hired Ms. Ali in the first place given her prior employment with the PLO. The Daily Wire, which originally broke this story, contacted Ms. Ali to ask whether she revealed her PLO job to DHS before she was hired. She responded, “That’s none of your f***ing business” and that her views on Israel do “not affect the ability to do my job at all” (I do not fully trust the Daily Wire as a news source, and so these quotes should be taken with a grain of salt. Also, apparently, the DW doesn’t like curse words). Regardless of Ms. Ali’s response, it seems unlikely that DHS did not know about her prior employment with the PLO. I have had a number of staff members get jobs at DHS, and their prior employment is always verified.
Assuming DHS knew about Ms. Ali’s job with the PLO, should that have been disqualifying? I really can’t say. The organization was permitted to operate in the U.S. and so I see no reason why someone who worked there could not also work for DHS. On the other hand, the PLO has a checkered relationship with the United States, and so Ms. Ali’s position there should have subjected her to additional vetting. Whether or not that happened, I do not know.
The next issue is whether Ms. Ali should be fired now, in the wake of her inflammatory posts. The ACLU provides some handy guidance about the free speech rights of federal employees. One situation where an employee can be disciplined is when her speech disrupts an efficient workplace. Where I think Ms. Ali crosses the line is her post featuring an armed terrorist paragliding into Jerusalem. This post would be bad enough if it was merely supporting armed resistance to Israeli occupation. But taken in the context of the mass slaughter of October 7, it is difficult to view the post as anything other than endorsing terrorism. Under these circumstances, I do not see how Ms. Ali will be able to remain at DHS.
A final issue is the political response from Republicans. Senator Josh Hawley (famous for raising his fist in support of January 6 rioters) calls Ms. Ali a “Pro-Hamas Spokeswoman.” Apparently, this is a reference to her job with the PLO. One Congressman complains about the “inexplicable hiring decision by Joe Biden’s Department of Homeland Security,” which “clearly shows that the Biden Administration cannot be trusted to keep our border secure and our country safe.” Of course, Ms. Ali was hired during the Trump Administration and completed her one-year probation during the Trump Administration. This inconvenient (and obvious) fact goes unmentioned by DHS’s Republican critics.
The onslaught by Republicans and right-leaning media has another effect: It puts Asylum Officers and USCIS Officers in danger. The effort to score political points at President Biden’s expense does not occur in a vacuum, and accusing DHS of harboring Hamas supporters has caused concern among agency employees and hurts morale. Unfortunately, at a time when nuance and solidarity are needed, we have far too many politicians eager to gain attention regardless of the truth or who they put at risk.
In the end, I understand why Ms. Ali is angry. But I don’t really understand why she decided to express herself online in the way that she did. It accomplished nothing towards resolving the conflict in Gaza, and only hurt her career and damaged her agency. Perhaps her’s is a cautionary tale: We need to express our views constructively and effectively, and not indulge our basest anger.
Wow.
Wow.
“Israeli occupation” – you do realize that if the “occupation” had really taken place, neither the October 7 atrocities (which you downplay, and what Hamas has done there is unspeakable!) nor the constant attacks from the Palestinian Authority would have not been possible.
I have a strojg impression that the author of this article has, at best, a very vague knowledge on the whole issue. At worst, the author de facto is being very mild to extremely cruel, genocidal attacks and views.
As an Israeli, I am appalled by your utter moral failure. Indeed, should a person who is actively advocating killing of Jews be fired? It depends on context, am I right?
We have been fighting against the terrible enemy for 73 days. Do you think the true occupation would have had any trouble with eliminating the threat in days? You Amwricans would have never tolerate this stuff for a single month, let alone for years. We are not even talking about indiscriminate missile attacks from the Gaza Strip anymore; it’s, like, a matter of fact!
Shame on you.
We in Israel will fight and we will win, with or without your help – because we have many technologies to offer to other seekers, if you’re not interested – but your moral bankruptcy cannot be defeated with weapons. The loss is yours, the loss of the basic humanity and common sense. It will be very tough for you when reality strikes.
My sense is that you did not really read the above article, which is an analysis of a federal employee’s free speech rights and how that would affect her ability to remain in her job. I have written other posts about my view on Israel (for example, the post titled I Stand with Israel, from shortly after the October 7 attack). Take care, Jason
Hello Jason,
Thank you for your continued support and help for asylum communities.
My GC is going to schedule for an interview shortly!
I would be much appreciated if you could give me the most expected questions and advises you thought important to consider and taken into consideration.
Thanks
I would double check that your I-589 asylum form and your I-485 green card forms are consistent, especially concerning the memberships, arrests, addresses where you lived, and employment (and everything else) so you are ready to explain any inconsistencies, and if you find inconsistencies, I might prepare something in writing to explain that and give it to the officer at the start of the interview. Otherwise, be prepared to answer the questions listed on the I-485. Also, review the asylum case so you can answer questions about that if asked (if there are questions, usually there are very few, but you never know). Some people these days are not receiving interviews – they just get the GC, so maybe that is possible too. Take care, Jason
Hey A.H,
Would you mind sharing your timeline and how do you know that you will soon be scheduled for in interview?
Did you already go for the interview ? Good luck. Also, when did you apply for the GC ?
Hi Jason,
Closing arguments has to be given at hearing or can be done by judge deadline without hearing?
Most judges allow closing argument at the end of the hearing. Some want it in writing. Some do not want it at all. It just depends on the judge and the case. Take care, Jason
thank you so much, if the judge wants it I writing that mean he wants to mail the decision?
Probably – if the judge asks for a written closing, your lawyer will submit that and the judge will probably issue a decision by mail (or for some cases, electronically online). It would be a little unusual if the judge schedules another hearing to give you the decision orally, but the judge could do that if that is what he wants, though I would guess the decision will be by mail. Take care, Jason
thank you so much, the judge wanted written and gave the due date 27th of this month to my attorney and then gave us a master hearing based on internet for February 2024 just for giving decision but he told us maybe will render decision before that date what do you think?
The judge may give you a decision before the Master Hearing, but it depends on the judge and the case. Basically, once your attorney files the closing, you will just have to wait to see what the judge does. Good luck, Jason
Jason,
What do you mean by electrically and mail what is different between them?
Some, but not all, court cases have online filing. If your case does, the judge can issue the case online, but I think only your lawyer can access that. Otherwise, the judge will send the decision by mail. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
Thank you very much for your thoughtful posts and interesting views on the most controversial topics in the world. In addition, coming from Arabic background and emotionally support Palestenian cause and feel completely angry against Israelian massacres across the history, I do really appreciate seeing you, a jewish person, opposes Israelian policies and supports Palestenian rights. I adore this behavior of honesty. On the other hand I have read in one of your comments saying: (What would I do if I were in Israel’s position. Would you really do nothing as Hamas murders your children and then launches missiles at your cities?). This is a valid question and I totally agree with it (only if we zoom in into this incident). But I truely believe that you need to zoom out a bit and inverse the question to be 100% just. Just like Israelian being enforced to commit massacres, what would you do if you were in Palestenian position? Carry pink rose with hearts popping from eyes while being slaughtered? Google the Israelian massacres across the history. Read about Deir Yassin, Qana, Tantoura, Kafr Kassim, and hundreds others. To reasonably resolve this conflict, we need to get back to the very first party that committed the very first crimes in the history, deeply analyze it, have the criminal confesses the crimes and apologies for them, then a solution of two states might be feasible and I am confident that Palestenians will start giving ears to Israelians. I wish this bloodshed to stop by any mean and I would support any action to endorse piece. I am against Mrs Ali promoting terrorism in your original post. But to resolve this conflict, responsible parties need really to be honest, take responsibility, and act upon it. Do you believe Mr Netanyahu, or any other Israelian PM, will ever do that?
I think this is well said. Certainly, Israel has sometimes massacred Palestinians or others. Palestinians have also massacred Jews (one famous incident was in Hebron in 1929) and of course, the Arab countries expelled their Jews between 1948 and the 1960s. I do agree though that the settlers in the West Bank are a huge problem – they are the most extreme people, placed into a volatile area, and they have killed innocent Palestinians and also regularly abuse Palestinians who live there. In short, there is blame to go around. None of that excuses the violence, which targets the innocent much more than it targets those who have previously committed violence. I do not have an answer. I think given the power dynamic, Hamas needs to be reduced as much as possible, and if they cared about Palestinian people, they would surrender to end the fighting. I also think the international community needs to step in to push much harder for a Palestinian state, as that is probably the best hope for a resolution. Without that, I do not see how the cycle of violence will end. Take care, Jason
The 1929 brutal incidents were investigated and perpetrators were punished. But the perpetrators of all massacres that happened after 1948 are not punished. But it is a great example that needs to be put under telescope along with all claims from both sides, if a real two states solution is being explored.
Here is the dilemma between the eastern and western stories:
Western Media: like CNN & Fox
– The terrible armed militia of terrorist Hamas attacked children, women, and civilians on Oct/7. They killed people randomly, kidnapped foreigners who were in Israel just visiting. Those ugly fighters should be eliminated by any mean.
Eastern Media: like Aljazeera
– The fake story of killing Israelian kids were refuted. It was a usual lie from Israelian officials to pave the way to kill +5000 arabic kids and women
– The refutation of the story was discussed on-air with Avichay Adraee, Lieutenant Colonel in the Israel Defense Forces, and he failed to provide evidence that Hamas killed kids. He provided only talks and talks. No videos no pictures. Nothing..
– Hamas said, even if that happened (killing women and kids), they apologized as that was not intentional
– Aljazeera is providing daily evidence of arabic kids that are being intentionally killed by the bombing of Israelian forces.
– Hamas stated that the kidnapped foreigners were taken by mistake as time was tight to vet whether those people are really innocent. They said they will set them free once circumstances allow.
– Hamas stated that they will set two Israelian hostages free for humanitarian reasons as they need medical attention and Hamas is unable to provide this attention.
Now, which media should we believe? I am more inclined to follow the story with evidence. You are an immigration lawyer. You how valuable evidence are.
Should we really need to push the two states solution, CNN, Aljazeera and other media sources need to work harder together to investigate and provide only trustworthy news and unified story. If that happens, we provide material support to United Nations to understand what’s happening thus, ability to resolve the conflict. Not any news just to pave ways for bloodshed.
With respect
I personally know people in Israel who have been affected by the war. I have no doubt that children and families were killed, and that children, grandmothers, and many others have been kidnapped. Hamas itself has verified and glorified much of that. I generally trust Aljazeera, CNN, and the other mainstream networks, as they tend to be reliable. They are not always correct, and they sometimes contradict, but the basic story of the Hamas massacre is clearly true. Hamas also kills Palestinians who oppose it, and so I am not sure why anyone would doubt its murderous ways. Take care, Jason
I do not know why you always ignore the idea that there is an occupation of people who came from Eastern Europe as refugees and were received by the Palestinian Arabs with all love, then they turned against them, killed them, and stole their land in the name of religion and God, and when the Palestinian resists in order to return from the refugee camps to his land, you say that he is an anti-Semite and a terrorist, this is With all due respect, do not fully understand history. Even the Hebron operation that I spoke about was a reaction to the beginning of the expulsion of Palestinians from their land and their killing with full British support. I do not agree with Hamas’ policy, but ninety percent of Hamas’ leaders are originally refugees from lands that occupied in 1948
A 62 Children were killed in the West Bank. A large number of women and children have been in Israeli prisons for many years.and no one talk
Im a Palestinian refugee and cant go back to my land in Acre , but one guy from Ethiopia can go to my village any time if he jewish ? Is that fair. ?
Its not about Hamas its about Palestinian people
Thanks
Sorry, it is about Hamas and it is about the Palestinian people. I agree that there should be a Palestinian state, and I have always felt that way. But I also believe there should be a Jewish state. And who occupied the land first depends on when you start counting. What I hope for now is peace. For that to happen, Hamas must somehow be removed from the picture. I wish it could be done in another way, and there has been talk about a ceasefire and hopefully that will happen, but I do not see how things can improve if Hamas is there – and by the way, I also think Netanyahu must go, as must the extremists in his government. Sadly, all this is no easy task. Take care, Jason
Trust Aljazeera? sorry Jason.
do you watch i24?
Also, too many compassionate left wing Jews like yourself Jason, are digging the graves of Jews by thinking that the Palestinians are morally the same. And have the Democratic Party as your religion. You can’t even recognize or give credit to Trump’s policies (even if his personality is deplorable)or other Rebuplicans who really have stood up for Israel and Jewish kids on campus.
Please house a few Palestinian refugees in your house and wake up. See how much they care about you, your values, or America.
Al Jazeera is generally a reliable news source. Maybe not always, but in general. As for “left wing Jews”, I do not appreciate how Republicans think they can use the terrorist attack to try to gain votes. The fact is, President Biden has stood very firmly with Israel. More firmly than any other world leader. Trump simply empowers hate and prejudice, which might be ok during the war, but the war must end and the two peoples have to find some way to live next to each other. I strongly support Israel (as I wrote in a prior post after October 7), but that does not mean I will give up my values, which are based on my Jewish faith, or that I will accept the former president’s hateful rhetoric, which will only lead to worse conflict in the long run. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
I read your post on this pro-Hamas Asylum officer and it made me write few lines not in defense of this officer but just to express my own two cents about what is happening right now in this world that we all live in.
Firstly, the IDF ( Israeli Defence Force) is not just raining bombs on the helpless civilians but are also very active on their propaganda campaign in social media and news media. No one really knows that exactly happened on Oct 07 because whatever we know so far is what IDF has shared with us and IDF has completely lost their credibility in the eyes of the world, they have lied so many times in the past and the world should never trust them anymore, I even think they had a huge part to play in the slaughtering of Israeli civilians on Oct 07 just to win people’s hearts and minds and depict themselves 100% innocent. Currently they are claiming that they are trying to rescue those hostages but if they had really cared for the lives of those hostages then they would not carpet bomb Gaza because carpet bombing will also wipe out the hostages that are there, but a sick person is a sick person, we can’t expect anything better then this from IDF and Netanyahu.
I don’t know Hamas, I have no allegiance to support or oppose this group since I don’t know who these people are, all I know about them is what is shared with us by the western media which is pumped and fueled by the propaganda machines of Israel and its terror network known as IDF and trusting this western media (Fox News a.k.a Fox Noise, CNN, BBC, etc..) isn’t a wise decision. What I do know is if someone comes to my home and starts to threaten me and attempt to take my home from me I will do whatever I can to resist and stop that person, and that is exactly what is happening with the Palestinians and their resistance, they are indigenous population living in that land and Israel and its terror network known as IDF claimed their lands and are pushing them away from their lands and calling their resistance as terror is not fair and just, the moment you call these people terrorist you are buying in to the propaganda campaign of IDF. We as Americans and people living in this free country need to leave our biases aside and think wisely and justly, today Israel is committing a Genocide, they are known as baby killers, they have already killed 5,000+ children and the number keeps going up, this is a terrorist state, no matter how much money they spend to promote their propaganda campaign in to the eyes of the world they are terrorists, its just those few US and western politicians that they have lobbied that are standing on their side. The world and humanity will never forgive Israel for committing acts of genocide in this modern day and age. I know Israel has lots of money and artillery power to wipe out civilians, but to the eyes of humanity Israel has lost this war and has introduced themselves as a terrorist state who terrorized children, women, men and elderly. This state has no interest to save the lives of those captives. I think the Israeli citizens should hold this Netanyaho and IDF accountable for their failure to protecting the lives of its citizens on Oct 07, and they should even hold them accountable if even one of those captives lose their live due to the carpet bombing of Gaza. Let’s be fair and just, we cant just label everyone who stands against the propaganda machines of IDF and Israel as anti-Semite or anti-Jew, we have Jews themselves who curse and condemn these terrorist atrocities of this Zionist state of Israel. Cursing and condemning a blood thirsty and child killing Zionist regime of Israel is not equal to Anti-Semitism, these are just the labels invented by these terrorists to silence and suppress people who want to stand by the side of innocent Palestinians who are currently being slaughtered by the Israeli war planes and tanks. I can love my Jewish neighbor and Jewish friend and still stand against the terrorist thugs of IDF and the Zionist state of Israel and no one can mix these two and confuse the minds of people.
Thanks for all your write-ups, I just had these few points that I wanted to share with you and your readers.
I appreciate your perspective, but at some point, you need to trust some news sources unless you have some evidence to believe it is not accurate. Hamas is a group of murderers who by their own evidence, deliberately targeted civilians, including children and old people. Hamas also targets Palestinians who do not agree with them and I have represented Palestinian people targeted by Hamas. In addition, while I have always opposed Israeli policy towards the Palestinians and supported a state for Palestinians, nothing that the Israelis have done justified Hamas murderous rampage. I think the question that people need to ask now is, What would I do if I were in Israel’s position. Would you really do nothing as Hamas murders your children and then launches missiles at your cities? The violence if horrific, but the moral responsibility for this violence is on Hamas. If they wanted to preserve Palestinian lives, they would surrender and end the fighting, but they are clearly willing to fight until the last innocent Palestinian child is dead. That said, the Israeli attack is horrific and I do not think it will help the hostages. I also do not really think it is the best plan to position Israel or Palestine for whatever comes next (hopefully a free and safe Palestinian state and a free and safe Israel). I do not really have a solution, but trying to justify Hamas, or to expect that group to play a part in any future resolution of the situation, is wrong. Take care, Jason
Thanks Jason for sharing your thoughts and view points on this highly complex matter. To your points, Israel claims to have the toughest and most advanced military in the world which is backed by the US and the west, they should have the capability to do overt operation and extract all the captives like the way how US navy seals did against bin Laden in Pakistan back in 2011. But as I said previously Netanyahu is a careless maniac he doesn’t care about the lives of the citizens of Israel, had he cared he would have not let this Oct 07 event happen in the first place, he really has zero care for the lives of the Israeli captives in Gaza right now, if he had he would found some other ways to get those captives back because flattening Gaza means he wants to kill every body including those captives.
Let’s think beyond Oct 07, lets ask ourselves why is this region always in constant battle, why are these so called “Palestinian terrorists” always sending their rockets to Israel ? So go back to my previous example: my friend you took someone’s home shouldn’t they scream and pull out all the small or big weapons they have to push back and regain their lands ?????!!!!
Let’s not forget Israel has OCCUPIED the lands of Palestinians, and we shouldn’t expect them to live with the occupier peacefully.
IDF and Israel is spending thousands on their social media and news media campaigns. They are paying social media influencers hundreds of dollars to promote their lies and change the narrative of this brutal war in their own favor. But this is genocide, they are bombing hospitals, schools, day cares, this is ethnic cleansing, all they want right now is to push Palestinians toward Sinai so they take the remaining pieces of land in Gaza and bring their settlers and settle them like the way the did in the past.
Let’s imagine a world without Hamas and call that world the West Bank, in the West Bank there is no Hamas but Israeli army is slaughtering innocent civilians over there too. History books already wrote Israel’s war as a genocide and that can’t be undone. Israel sewed so much hatred in the hearts and minds of people for itself and its brutal IDF forces that can’t be erased anymore so much so that I was in the super market and people spit on Israeli products let alone buying them. We all know how ISIS was a brutal terrorist organization who had zero care for human lives and tried to affiliate themselves with Islam and Muslims but they are terrorists and has nothing to with with Islam and Muslims, similarly IDF and the notion of Zionism is a terror and has nothing to do with Jews and Judaism. Go and see it for yourself how the Zionist police are torturing the orthodox Jews in Jerusalem who want to voice their opposition against this brutal occupation of Palestine.
Anyways, alot to say about this, but I know you are a busy person and you have more important things to do and I respect you for what you do by helping people flee from their oppressive rulers and oppressive terror groups so I don’t want to take your time anymore. Let’s all wish for a world free from extremist ideologies such as Antisemitism, white supremacy, Islamophobia, etc.. and also let’s hope for a world free from extremist groups such as ISIS and its terror forces who terrorize humans under the banner of Islam and let’s hope for a world free from IDF and Zionism who are terrorizing humans under the banner of Judaism, because Muslims, Jews and Christians and all other faiths can and will peacefully coexist with each other if we don’t have extremists and maniacs like these.
I think there is a lot on which we can agree. I think the occupation and what land is considered occupied (Nablus? Tel Aviv?) is different for different people. My preference has always been a two state solution, even if those territories were overlapping. I agree that Netanyahu does not care about the hostages and their approach is not designed to help those people. I also think Hamas does not care about Palestinian civilians. Otherwise, they would never have taken this approach and maybe instead of spending money on weapons and tunnels, they could have helped people in Gaza. Sadly, at this point, reasonable voices are being drowned out, and so I do think even if we disagree, at least if we can speak respectfully to each other, it will help keep the door open to peace. Israel is not going anywhere and neither are the Palestinians, so (to paraphrase Ben Franklin), either we learn to live together or we will die separately. Take care, Jason
Those tunnels are booby trapped with explosives and dangerous for the IDF to do an extraction and rescue like you suggest.
In response to what you wrote in another reply, the IDF ultimately brought in incubators and helped move those babies to Egypt. Do you think the Palestinians would care about Jewish babies at all?
Prior to Israel’s creation, Jews legally purchased many parcels land from Arabs who resided there.
Palestine was never an official nation. The League of Nations and Britain actually ended up designating the boundaries of Israel and many of the surrounding countries. The original Palestine region was much larger than Israel. Israel is only about 25% of what Britain intended for the Jews. Most of the rest of the Palestine region became Jordan. So actually there really are 2 states.
Why don’t you care or talk about the 800,000 Jews who became refugees from Arab countries who lost their homes? Why aren’t you demanding their right of return? Or the Jews that weren’t allowed to migrate to the region during WWII to escape persecution because the British didn’t want to upset the Arabs? Or the Jews that were denied entry into America during the Holocaust? Jews also came to the region because of Russian pogroms. The West Bank includes Judaea and Samaria, the tomb of Deborah. Who is occupying who?
Israel became a productive western society. Jews don’t teach their children hate in schools. Just because they are successful doesn’t mean they are the bad guys and aren’t the victims of really the whole world. Jews care about the environment, gay rights, education, etc. You would not like what the Palestinians would do to Israel if they took it over.
The Palestinians do not want a 2 state solution. They and UNWRA teach Palestinian children to hate and kill Jews. They elected Hamas!! The PLO is also a terrorist organization. Until the Palestinian people can use the billions they receive in aid to improve themselves and not for bombs and tunnels, there can be no peace. The majority of the Palestinians rejoiced and cheered the Oct 7th massacre. If they hypothetically agreed to a 2 state solution, that would only be the start. They will not stop until Israel and the Jews are annihilated Everywhere.
****Secondly, people please read the Israel 101 booklet and others which are free to view and download at Standwithus.com/booklets. See all the times that Israel tried for a 2 state solution that was rejected and met with violence. *****
Americans don’t realize Israel is fighting our battle too against Iran and it’s jihadist, AntiAmerican destruction.
Note, the majority of Israeli Jews came from the 800,000+ Jews that escaped persecution from middle eastern countries.
Everybody knows what happened on Oct 7. And Israel will win and eliminate Hamas whatever you and other useful idiots like you scream and cry. I hope after that Israel will establish control over Palestinian and will do what the USA did to nazi Germany – open public trials for survived terrorists and mandatory education about hamas crimes against humanity for Palestine people (although it is going to be hard because they are taught from school to hate and kill Jews).
@Nick, no need for name calling and insults. David is expressing his opinions and he has the right to do so without being insulted.
2×2 = 5 is not an opinion. It is a lie. And as long as we keep calling this lie opinion we let this lie grow and propagate in ignorant people’s minds. That is why we have a bunch of young people (and even LGBT!!!) who support bloody terrorists and their intentions to destroy Israel.
Not sure what you are talking about Nick ? No body here has the intension to destroy Israel, rather it has a corrupt maniac and extremist leader who is even more extremist then Trump. This lunatic Netanyahu is determined to destroy his own country and he is on a fast track to eradicate it from people’s hearts and minds. Already he sowed so much hatred in the eyes of the world for his country that it will take decades to remove that hatred. He is a like a serial killer who has no respect to humanity. This guy is deceiving the Israelis, he doesn’t even care about the precious lives of Israeli citizens, had he cared he would have focused more on finding ways to safely rescue / extract those captives. All he cares is to fulfill his fascist radical agenda and commit more evil, he appointed in his cabinets lunatics’ and maniacs that will only serve him and his extremist ideologies. He is like a blood thirsty monster that one sees on horror movies who can only be satisfied by killing and destruction. We all need to agree that ‘All lives matter’, the life of a premature Palestinian baby suffocated out of the incubator due to this psychopaths’ relentless bombardment is as precious as the life of an innocent Israeli citizen who was taken on the cross fire on October 07. I think Israeli citizens need to put pressure on this guy to focus on releasing those captives and not focus on committing a genocide.
Hopefully, we are moving towards an agreement to release hostages and have a ceasefire of some kind. I personally think a lot of Netamyahu’s actions are based on his desire to stay in office, with whatever coalition he can make. If he leaves office, he will be subject to prosecution for corruption. He has this in common with Trump and it makes them both very dangerous. Take care, Jason
I do not feel so optimistic that anyone can win in this war. Especially since both sides are ruled by the most extreme people. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason,
After almost ten years of waiting for asylum interview appointment, i finally withdrew my asylum application. I received GC through other way.the bitter part of this process was when I asked the asylum office to terminate my asylum application, in two days, they sent an letter that they administratively closed my asylum application and online status also shows the application was closed that was too fast i did not expect such a thing from asylum office is this normal? .it seems they are willing to close as much as application they can, but if I asked for interview, it will take forever to respond. Anyway, it was my experience with asylum office which takes a decade of my life
It is really terrible, but I guess you got the GC, so that is good. In terms of terminating a case, sometimes it is fast and sometimes it is slow. Like most everything else in immigration world, it is not very predictable. Take care, Jason
Hello @FINALLY congratulations , can you plz tell me what route you adopted to get the green card and give some details on it.
Appreciate your help
Thank You
Sam
Hi Jadon,
If I have an asylee green card, can I travel to my country which I claimed asylum ? My friend told me she went back to her home country and told the US immigration officer that she went home when she got back to the US and they didn’t do anything to her. She has also applied for a passport from her own country of nationality. Is this possible or a fallacy? Many thanks!
You can return to your country, but there is a risk. At a minimum, you should be prepared to explain why you went back and how you stayed safe. If the trip causes the US government to think your asylum case was fake, they could re-open the case and try to take your status. That said, people do travel back and I think it is rare that they get into trouble, but it is possible. I wrote about this on January 6, 2016 and maybe that post would help. Take care, Jason
If Trump wins in 2024; he plans on completely annihilating Immigration.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/sweeping-raids-giant-camps-mass-164740438.html
That is why we need to throw our full support behind President Biden to defeat Trump/Haley ! I hope asylum advocates can help in this as well, which I think is more impactful than win an individual asylum case. If these two people get into white house, their negative policy regarding asylum seekers will be sweeping and large scale…we don’t want that…right ?
and democracy…
Trump can’t “annihilate” immigration, per se. Changing immigration laws require Congress amending the INA. However, certain immigration policies and reforms- provided that these reforms/policies are not successfully challenged in the courts- can conceivable make it very difficult for immigrants in general. If you recall, for instance, the Trump administration- with the help of his attorneys general, his “advisor” Steven Miller, some of the appellate courts, his DHS secretary, his USCIS director, and a Congress that did not work- attempted to create chaos and confusion, which significantly slowed down the immigration process- and in some instances, caused a lot of inconsistent and incorrect denials and decisions from USCIS and the immigration courts. Still, many of these so-called policies were successfully challenged/reversed in court (the public charge rule that was orchestrated by Steven Miller, for e.g.). Simply put- Congress and the judiciary are more important than the POTUS when it comes to immigration in general (at least, this is my opinion). I think it’s time we realize how important voting for your Congress person is. While the POTUS can impact the tone of the country and the POTUS has certain powers at his/her disposal, the person you vote to represent you in Congress and the courts are arguably more important than voting for the POTUS or who the POTUS is. That is because these branches of government can check the actions of the POTUS and his/her administration, and prevent the administration from becoming too powerful or abuse its power.
Conceivably*
Requires*
means
Hello! I have two pending cases with USCIS. One is political asylum pending since 2016, no interview scheduled yet. Another one marriage based case, PD is May 2021. Interview was held on March 2022, radio silence since then. First case was opened in NY, second in NJ. Changed the address for the first very late, one month before marriage based case interview, they were not able to receive it in my new field office by the time of interview and due to that officer was unable to give a decision right after interview for marriage based case. Marriage is falling apart little by little by i am keeping it afloat. Tried to schedule appointment- denied, two e-requests-copy , paste replies aka ”your case is within normal processing time , you don’t need to do anything. Reached out to congressman – no luck either.We will send you a notice if there gonna be a need in additional evidence”. Officer didn’t separate us during interview , it went pretty smooth. My asylum attorney went to jail for fraud cases. I reached out to one of attorneys , they suggested to close the case. I sent the withdrawal letter last week, I-130 is not approved for marriage based case, I am getting mixed feelings that I made a mistake by trying to withdraw asylum case(some people say it’s a rag flag to do so). What should I do now, do you have any suggestions? Thank you in advance.
Unfortunately, when a person has the bad luck to have an attorney who is a criminal, it raises a lot of red flags and very commonly causes delay – sometimes very long delay. I do not know the case specifics, but I doubt that withdrawing the case will in any way speed along the I-130, and given the uncertain status of the marriage, I would probably not withdraw the asylum case. I would, however, talk to a new lawyer who is hopefully not a criminal and have the new lawyer evaluate the asylum case and if there are any aspects that are fraudulent – even if that was not your fault – I would address those. It is very unfortunate and unfair, but I think you need to check your asylum case for any false elements and try to get those corrected. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason.
So, EOIR finally scheduled Individual hearing date for Jan next year and my lawyer recommended me to terminate my case, wait for my girlfriend to receive her Green card so she can file for me within a year or two.
I believe my case has 50% approval rate but my lawyer believes it’s less.
My question is what would you do? My GF and I’ve been together for 2 years now and she’s okay filing for me once she gets her green card.
Let’s say we get married before court date, show up at court, my case gets rejected and can she file for me to stay while I file for appeal or is that risky and clumsy idea?
Or should we just marry, terminate the case and wait for her to get her GC and file for me?
If we go that route, how long would it take for me to get my 2 year GC?
My GF is approved for GC, she already has EAD that she can use to travel and she’s waiting to get physical GC.
Thanks in advance
This is difficult to answer without more info, but one issue that stands out is whether your girlfriend can sponsor you at all once she has her GC and once you are married. Normally, when a person is out of status (and presumably, you are out of status as that is why people get placed into Immigration Court), you probably would not be able to get your own GC without leaving the US. Maybe there is some exception that would allow you to get the GC without leaving, but for most people, they can only do that once their spouse is a US citizen, and that will probably take another 5 or 6 years from the date she gets the GC. I would ask the lawyer about this to see if there is some way for you to get a GC based on her, whether you need to leave the US to do that, and whether you are even eligible to get the GC if you leave (some people would not be eligible). Assuming you can get the GC relatively soon based on the marriage, then maybe it is worthwhile to terminate the case and avoid the risk of a denial. If your case is denied, you can appeal, and during the appeal, you can try to get the GC based on marriage assuming you are eligible, but I would think it would be more difficult or impossible to get the GC that way if your spouse only has her GC (if she is a US citizen, it would probably be possible depending on the case). I did blog posts on August 28, 2018 and September 6, 2018 and maybe those would give you some more ideas. Take care, Jason
Thank you for your response, Jason. I will take a look at those articles
Hi Jason – when you say DHS vets prior employment history, my educated guess is that they only verify what you claim on your resume. If you leave something off, I doubt the HR folks would catch it. Maybe if the position requires a TS clearance, the interviewer on your background check could explore gaps in time on your resume, but not a guarantee they would find the person’s actual activity during that time.
Correct, but to leave a long gap would have required a significant lie on her part. I guess that is not impossible, but given that the info was publicly available on LinkedIn, I doubt she failed to reveal the employment. Of course, I do not know, and had she left out that information, I imagine it would be grounds for termination. Take care, Jason
Dear Jason
My friend’s family crossed the US Mexico border without a visa. They were issued the Notices to Appear. Given his bad financial situation, he is unable to find a lawyer with affordable fees. He went to a paralegal who said he needs to file three separate I-589 asylum applications because there are three family members. Is it true and is it sufficient to file just one asylum application listing all family members? The reason why we are asking is the paralegal’s fee: he wants to charge him for three application forms rather than one.
PS. He is not in the court system.
Thank you.
I would not use a paralegal when you have a court case. I know it is difficult to find a pro bono (free) lawyer, but I would try that first. I did a post on September 22, 2016 with ideas and links to different organizations by state. Whether or not you must/should file 3 different cases depends on different factors, but typically, a married couple with an unmarried child under age 21 can all file one application together. You might do better to fill the applications yourself and bring them to the court. You must also bring one copy for DHS (the prosecutor). You can file these at your first court hearing, but the process involves more than that (including filing for a fingerprint appointment) and so you should do your best to find a lawyer. Another option, at your first court date, might be to ask the judge whether the case can be dismissed so you can file asylum at the asylum office. The procedure there is easier for people who do not have a lawyer, and so maybe that is an option. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason,
I’m a Palestinian medical school fresh graduate, came to USA on B1/B2, and there has been a new guidance to asylum officers about stateless people, I’m considered stateless as a Palestinian, do you advise me to apply for asylum and especially that currently there is a massive ongoing armed conflict in my homeland, thank you.
I have not carefully reviewed the guidance on statelessness, but having looked at it briefly, I do not think it will be much help in an asylum case (though I am not sure and I actually do need to review it for a case, but that won’t be for a couple months). In terms of asylum, you need to show a particularized threat based on your race, religion, nationality, political opinion or particular social group, and so general war conditions is probably not a basis for asylum. This has been a problem for many people, including Syrians and Iraqis, who often had a hard time winning asylum even at the height of the wars in those countries. All that said, my guess is that a Palestinian currently in the US would have a claim for asylum – if nothing else, many Palestinians back home are angry at the US for supporting Israel, and so the fact that you have been living here might cause them to associate you with the United States, which could put you in danger. You might also face particularized harm from Israelis who target certain Palestinians in the West Bank (I think Gaza is trickier even though the violence is much worse, since it may be difficult to show that the harm is directed specifically at you). In short, there are probably options for asylum, and obviously now is a terrible time to return, and so I would recommend you talk to a lawyer to determine the best approach to presenting a case. Take care, Jason
I’m confused on what hell is this. This girl deserves not only to be fired, but to be put in a no fly list, and banned from any goverment job in perpetuity.
And btw, I would say 90 % of the ppl here claiming to be asylum seekers, are just economic migrants. Not refugees or anything remotely close to that.
Expressing a political point – even one that is offensive – is classic First Amendment speech, which is protected by law. Acting on those thoughts is another matter, and if she did that (and there is zero evidence of that), then I would agree. As for your 90% figure, there is no evidence for that either, and so it is simply not convincing. Take care, Jason
Based on Ali’s strong hate filled bigoted language, I would say that a committee needs to look at all the people she helped to come into this country and those she rejected. I feel her files need to be subpoenaed. This is the Department of Homeland security she works for. A person with her background doesn’t love the USA, and has no business in that position. In a defense company she would be denied security clearance, so people who work for DHS better dang well be vetted.
My guess is that her decisions will generally comport with the law, since most asylum seekers have nothing to do with the Palestinians or Israel (most are from Latin America). However, I do think her decisions will probably be reviewed to see if anything is suspicious. Take care, Jason
Here we go again with the satirical fallacy. Which reputable source has verified that 90% of the people who file asylum applications are “economic migrants”? The fact that you make these wild claims don’t make them true.
Statistical***
Dear Jason, thank you for all the help. I have a question; I applied for asylum since 2016. I have had interview and everything after years of waiting for a decision I finished school and got married and have twin girls. I received a decision that my case was denied and I’m put in removal proceedings. My court date is February 2026 and in Atlanta, Ga. But Before the decision I applied for I-130 and got approved. I want to send a motion to terminate removal proceedings but I am not sure where I should address the letter to. My case office is Arlington, Virginia and I reside in Alabama. So where should I address the motion to?
Thank you in advance for your help.
Dan
Dear Jason, thank you for all the help. I have a question; I applied for asylum since 2016. I have had interview and everything after years of waiting I finished school and got married now with twin daughters. I received a decision that I am denied and put on removal proceedings. I applied and got approved for I-130. I want to adjust status to apply for green card. I know I need to send a motion to terminate my removal proceedings which is scheduled in February 2026. I reside in Alabama and my case office is in Arlington, Virginia. The court date and place is in Atlanta Ga. Where should I send the letter for to terminante the removal proceedings?
Thank you in advance for your time.
Atlanta is a notoriously bad court, though I have heard the newer judges are much better. Even so, I would not take chances with this and I recommend you get a lawyer to help you. There are different paths depending on your eligibility for the green card, and on the judge and DHS (the prosecutor). Sometimes, they will agree to dismiss your case once you file the I-130. Other times, they want to see an I-130 approval. In still other cases, they want you to pay the I-485 fee before they agree to dismiss, and in some cases, they will not agree to dismiss at all, and you have to process the green card in court. Given that you are in Atlanta, I recommend you have a lawyer help you get through the process, since you should be eligible and you do not want a mistake that causes your case to be denied. Take care, Jason
Dear Jason, I have paid and talked to an appointment with an attorney. I was told the 2 options the DHS prosecutor for the motion to Terminate or the court in front of the judge in case the DHS refused to terminate. The fees I would be charged for the firm to do that is 10 K and honestly I do not have it. I do have my I-130 approval. I just need to know where should I address the motion for DHS to terminate the proceedings. Here in USCIS Montgomery, AL or somewhere else?
Thank you.
There is a link under Resources called DHS Office of the Chief Counsel. If you follow that link and find your local DHS office, you should be able to find a phone number or email to contact them. Then, you can send them a copy of the I-130 approval and ask whether they might be willing to terminate. Also, if your next court date is a Master Calendar Hearing (and not an Individual Hearing), you could probably just go there with a copy of the I-130, your passport and I-94 document, and your spouse, and ask the judge and DHS to terminate at that time. If they do not agree or if you have an Individual Hearing scheduled, it is more urgent to find an attorney. Maybe you can find someone less expensive. I did a post on September 22, 2016 with links to local non-profits – maybe you can contact them to see if they can assist you. Take care, Jason
Dear Jason,
I found my local field office. I did see the physical address as well. I just need a clarification, if the physical address is the same as the mailing address for the office? Thank you again for everything you doing.
Sincerely, Dan
I do not know if it is true for all offices, but I think at least for our local field offices, the mailing and physical address are the same. Take care, Jason
I forgot to add, I called the 1800 number but the automated answering system kept sending me to the field office locator link. But I was trying to have someone to ask for clarification but unfortunately the system is inadequate.
Dan.
Hi Jason
We have our asylum interview pending since 2016 .My daughter is currently a junior in high school. She has to go to college in 2025. We were wondering that on what status will she apply to college. Most applications don’t have an option for awaiting asylum interview.
I do not know, as it depends on the application. I guess you would do your best to match her with a category and then maybe explain in writing somewhere. Most people with a pending asylum case are not eligible for in-state tuition, but you can ask about that. Also, in some cases, there is scholarship money for such people, and the school may be able to help with that. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
I hope you are doing well. I have two questions:
My Employment Authorization Document (EAD) application has been pending since February, and the status is still showing as “under review.” As I will be switching jobs in a few months, I will need a copy of my EAD for proof of eligibility to work, since my previous one has expired. Is there any way to expedite the issuance of my card?
Based on your experience, how do cases typically proceed for someone under Immigration Judge (IJ) court review who also has an EB-1 approval? Is it possible for them to adjust their status within the U.S., or have they successfully completed the consular processing in a third country?
I would appreciate your advice on these matters.
If you filed for the new EAD before the old one expired, you should have a receipt that indicates a 540-day extension. I also did a blog post about this with links to relevant USCIS websites. That was on May 11, 2022. The employer should accept that, even a new employer. I think it will be very difficult to expedite, but you can try – probably you need to call 800-375-5283 and try to reach a person. I also wrote about expediting with USCIS in general on January 29, 2020. To get a GC based on employment while you are in court is very difficult and maybe impossible, depending on the case. I wrote about this on August 28, 2018 and September 6, 2018, but you should talk to a lawyer for help, and have the lawyer map out exactly how you will proceed from where you are now to having the GC, whether you need to leave the US, and what are the risks. I would get this in writing, as that will protect you a bit. The process will likely be long and expensive, but depending on the case, it may be possible, and it may even be possible to get the GC without leaving the US, though I think you will probably need to leave the US. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason i have a quick question. What happens to my work authorization through Pending Asylum (C8) if the judge denies Asylum, but agrees for cancelation of removal. However can not officially put it in records as we have to wait for a visa to open up because of the backlog in Cancelation of removal. Will i be able to work under the same EAD until the visa availably or have to reapply for EAD under another category?
You can work under your asylum-pending EAD until it expires. The wait time for Cancellation cases keeps getting longer. I recently heard that they are issuing GCs for people who were approved in early 2020, and as far as I can tell, it has been stuck there for some time. You can get an EAD based on the pending Cancellation (category c-10), but you can ask the judge to keep asylum alive until you get the new work permit. In my experience, judges will not do that, but you never know and it does not hurt to ask. Take care, Jason
In scenarios like this, the judge should be able to grant prosecutorial discretion, right ? Like…an administrative closure ?
That may be possible, depending on whether DHS and the judge agree. Take care, Jason
I m asylum seekers I need reentry permit
If you want to leave the US and return, you need Advance Parole. I wrote about that on September 11, 2017. Unfortunately, since then, the wait time to get AP has gotten longer, and it probably takes more than one year, unless you can expedite. You also need a valid passport to travel, and you use AP like a visa, to re-enter the United States. Take care, Jason