A Department of Homeland Security officer was put on leave for praising Hamas and sharing extremist content on social media, which included a post with the statement, "F*** Israel ... we are ready for your downfall." Nejwa Ali, 36, who joined the US Citizenship and Immigration Services in 2019 as an asylum officer, was suspended from her position on Wednesday.
Ali initially worked to assist asylum seekers in navigating the immigration process before transitioning to the Department of Homeland Security earlier this year. In addition to her social media posts, it was also revealed that Ali had previously worked as a spokesperson for the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) delegation in the US.
Suspended for Dark and Controversial History
The PLO, once led by Yasser Arafat, has been called a terrorist organization by US officials. Ali's recent social media activity included sharing a troubling image of paragliders armed with AK-47s, accompanied by the caption "Free Palestine," glorifying the Hamas terrorists for the deaths of over 1,400 people in Israel.
The Daily Wire unearthed several posts by Ali that raised concerns, including one where she expressed disapproval of what she described as "Israeli and American privilege."
The hiring of Nejwa Ali for government roles, including her position at the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), despite her alarming past posts and connections to the PLO, is currently unclear and raises questions about the screening and vetting processes for such positions.
"USCIS strongly condemns antisemitism and the use of violent rhetoric in any form," Matthew Bourke, a spokesperson, said.
"USCIS employees are held to high ethical standards both on and off duty, including their presence on social media. Any violation of these standards is taken seriously by the agency."
When contacted by The Daily Wire and questioned about her past, Nejwa Ali reportedly replied angrily.
"That's none of your f****** business. Mind your business before I call the police. If I were you I'd respectfully hang up the phone right now," she reportedly told the outlet.
Shocking Online Posts
In her social media posts, Ali claimed that all Israelis should be held accountable for their government's actions unless they openly condemned the actions of Israel.
"Israeli, American privilege is disgusting. When Israelis acknowledge the government and military are solely responsible for the attack. Period," she wrote. "I hold every Israeli accountable for their governments actions, IF they do not speak against Israel."
Moreover, on October 9, Ali shared a post on Facebook titled "How Nejwa wakes up," accompanied by a video captioned "F*** Israel and any Jew that supports Israel." These posts reflect her strong and controversial views regarding Israel and those who support it.
She also posted a photo and captioned it, "A nation that has nothing but Allah has everything it will ever need," alongside an anti-Semitic caricature of a Jewish nose.
Prior to her current position, Ali worked as a public affairs officer for the Palestinian Delegation to the US in 2016 and 2017, as indicated on her LinkedIn profile. The delegation represented the 'PLO office in DC,' according to its website.
The Palestine Liberation Organization was previously classified as a terrorist organization by various administrations. It was led by Yasser Arafat, who played a prominent role in the Palestinian freedom movement for many decades.
After the Trump administration expelled the PLO's office in DC, Ali secured a role at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as an 'Asylum Officer,' where she was responsible for applying immigration laws and regulations to asylum applications.
This year, she started working as an Adjudication Officer for the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, where her responsibilities included analyzing new or amended legislation and policies, preparing written reports of findings, and reviewing and making determinations on cases for immigration benefits.
It appears that Ali's social media profiles, including her Instagram account 'Falastine Mi Amor,' have been deleted.
