Palestinian Harvard Freshman Deported for Friends Social Media Posts

Ismail Ajjawi, a Palestinian refugee living in Lebanon was granted a scholarship into Harvard University then deported upon arrival to the US after being questioned for eight hours in the airport.

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Ajjawi’s story started when he was granted a scholarship by the AMIDEAST in Lebanon and then asked to fly to the US to settle alongside his colleagues in the dorms by the beginning of the term. However, the migration officers at Boston Logan International Airport canceled his visa and sent him back to Lebanon for no clear reason.

According to the Crimson, the daily student newspaper of Harvard University who first reported the story, officials in the airport has questioned 17-year-old Ajjawi who came from Tyre, Lebanon and asked him to unlock his phone and laptop to search them for five hours.

Ajjawi was questioned about his religion and religious practices in Lebanon before they asked him about his friends’ social media activity and posts; given that some included criticism of the US.

Ajjawi was questioned about his religion and religious practices in Lebanon before they asked him about his friends’ social media activity and posts; given that some included criticism of the US.

Despite Ajjawi’s attempts to tell the officer he had not made any political posts and how he should not be held responsible for others’ posts, the officer canceled his visa, allowed him a phone call to his parents and told him he would be deported.

The story has caused an uproar among Harvard students and internet users who denounced the immigration officers’ attitude.

In response, Harvard University issued an official statement confirming they are “working closely with the student’s family and appropriate authorities to resolve this matter so that he can join his classmates in the coming days”.

Yet, the story led many to question the US claimed democracy in time US policies toward immigrants have been becoming more hostile.

While the US administration officials did not comment on the story, the reasons behind the deportation of Ajjawi remain unclear leading many to estimate it was the fact that Ismail is a Palestinian refugee in Lebanon and his status behind his deportation, or the fact that the immigration officers deported him because of his friends’ opinions on the internet.