The entrance of a Palestinian refugee boy who has passed Harvard University is in danger. When I arrived at Boston Airport near the university, I was refused entry by a US Customs and Border Protection official. The reason seems to be that a friend made an anti-American post on Facebook (FB).
According to the student newspaper Harvard Crimson, the boy is Ismail Ajawi (17). A Palestinian refugee who graduated from a high school in a refugee camp in Lebanon this spring. Aspiring to be a doctor for many years, Harvard planned to major in physical and chemical biology.
However, on August 23, I was interrogated for a total of 8 hours at Boston Airport, where I was able to check my computer and smartphone.
The official said that Ajawi's FB “friend” was making a political statement against the US, and the entry visa was canceled. Mr. Ajawi said that he did not respond to the likes of his friends, but was forced to return to Lebanon.
When applying for a US visa for work or study abroad, it was required to declare social media account information for the past five years.
The start of Harvard University is September 3…
