Palestinian student denied entry to US finally arrives at Harvard

Ismail Ajjawi, 17, was stopped from attending US college because of his friends' social media posts

A Palestinian Harvard student was denied entry into the US because his friends posted anti-American statements on social media. Sipa Press / Rex Features

A Palestinian student denied entry to the US because of his friends’ social media posts arrived at Harvard for the start of the academic year after an about-turn by authorities.

Ismail Ajjawi, 17, who was living in Lebanon, flew to Boston on Saturday and is now in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to begin his studies on a scholarship.

US immigration officials held him for eight hours at Boston’s Logan International Airport on August 23, questioning him and searching his electronic devices before deporting him.

Ismail said that the immigration officer handling his interrogation complained that they had found posts made by his friends that were deemed to be anti-American.

A representative for US Customs and Border Protection said the student had been “deemed inadmissible” without specifying why.

Ismail’s family said they were relieved at the decision and that he would be allowed to take up his place at one of the world’s most prestigious universities.

Harvard and Amideast, a non-profit organisation, campaigned for Ismail’s admittance to the US.

"The last 10 days have been difficult and anxiety-filled, but we are most grateful for the thousands of messages of support and particularly the work of Amideast," the student's family told The Harvard Crimson, a student newspaper.

“We truly appreciate the efforts of so many individuals and officials in Lebanon, Washington, Massachusetts and at Harvard who have made it possible for our son Ismail to begin his studies at Harvard with his class.”

Amideast president Theodore Kattouf said his group was “pleased that Ismail’s Harvard dream will come true after all".

“Ismail is a bright young man whose hard work, intelligence and drive enabled him to overcome the challenges that Palestinian refugee youth continue to face in order to earn a scholarship,” Mr Kattouf said.

Ismail’s barring from the US sparked an outcry from Harvard student groups, with one petition gathering 7,000 signatures.

But immigration officials said that they could not release information about individual travellers because of privacy laws.

Harvard president Lawrence Bacow delivered a letter to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in July about the challenges facing foreign students trying to obtain visas for their studies at Harvard, including delays and denials.