After more than a year on the taxpayer payroll, a Department of Homeland Security official who openly praised Hamas and spread anti-Israel hate has finally been fired. Nejwa Ali, who once served as a spokesperson for the Palestinian Liberation Organization and was later tasked with vetting asylum seekers for the U.S. government, was officially terminated in February 2025.
The firing comes 16 months after Ali was placed on paid administrative leave following the discovery of her disturbing social media posts celebrating Hamas’s October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks on Israel. Among the most damning content were her public cheers for the slaughter of Israeli civilians, glorification of violence, and repeated displays of anti-Semitic rhetoric.
Despite the gravity of the revelations, then-DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas allowed Ali to remain on paid leave for well over a year—drawing outrage from lawmakers, immigration officials, and the general public. Critics accused the department of failing to act swiftly against someone who not only harbored extremist views but held a sensitive role in the federal government’s immigration apparatus.
Ali didn’t stay quiet during her suspension, either. She continued to attend pro-Hamas rallies and reportedly took part in protests hostile to U.S. ally Israel. All the while, American taxpayers footed the bill.
The prolonged delay in removing Ali has sparked a firestorm over DHS’s vetting procedures, especially when it comes to employees in national security and immigration enforcement roles. Many now question how someone with such openly hostile and extremist views was ever given the responsibility of evaluating asylum applicants—a job that requires discretion, neutrality, and trust.
“This is a catastrophic failure of oversight,” one senior DHS official said. “We’re supposed to be vetting people who enter this country. Meanwhile, we couldn’t even properly vet our own employee.”
The Trump administration has vowed to conduct a sweeping review of personnel practices across DHS and other federal agencies to ensure that no individuals with extremist sympathies—whether foreign or domestic—hold positions of authority. Officials say the Ali case is just the tip of the iceberg.
“This isn’t about free speech,” said one White House spokesperson. “This is about national security. If you’re cheering for terrorists, you shouldn’t be anywhere near our immigration system—let alone controlling who gets into this country.”
Ali’s dismissal comes too late for many, who say the damage to public trust has already been done. But it also serves as a warning: the era of soft discipline and quiet tolerance for extremism within the federal bureaucracy is coming to an end.
Under the new administration, actions have consequences—and America’s enemies won’t find a friend or a paycheck in Washington, D.C.
The post DHS Official Who Openly Cheered Hamas Fired After 16 Months Of Paid Leave appeared first on Real News Now.
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