U.S. asylum law is bizarre in the extreme. If you help those fighting for freedom or battling America’s adversaries, watch out. You might be deemed a terrorist.
Mosab Hassan Yousef was the son of a founder of Hamas who converted to Christianity and became an Israeli informant. His father disowned him. He came to America and sought asylum. As one would expect from America’s ever-vigilant Department of Homeland Security, he was deemed a security threat and denied asylum.
But DHS has dropped its objections and now he can stay.
The son of a Hamas founder who became a Christian and an Israeli spy will be granted U.S. asylum after he passes a routine background check, an immigration judge ruled Wednesday.
Mosab Hassan Yousef got the news during a 15-minute deportation hearing after a U.S. Department of Homeland Security attorney said the government was dropping its objections.
The agency denied Yousef’s asylum request in February 2009, arguing that he had been involved in terrorism and was a threat to the United States.
Attorney Kerri Calcador gave no explanation for the government’s change of heart.
The immigration judge, Rico Bartolomei, ruled that Yousef will be allowed to remain in the United States after he is fingerprinted and passes a routine background check.
Yousef, who has been living in San Diego, was cheered by supporters as he left the hearing.
He said he loves living in California, wants to become a U.S. citizen and hopes to pursue a master’s degree in history and geography.
Every once in a while the good guys win.
