He entered the US on a student visa but never attended college. Did he perhaps have any other plans for his stay in America? From the Philadelphia Inquirer, with thanks to the Constantinopolitan Irredentist:
A 28-year-old Palestinian convicted in Israel of membership in the militant organization Hamas was sentenced to a year in prison yesterday by a federal judge in Philadelphia.
Atef Hasan Ismail Idais had lived in Philadelphia since he arrived from the Palestinian territories in 2000. He was arrested Sept. 9, 2004, on a charge of falsifying a visa application and has been in federal prison since.
When Idais is released, possibly today, he will be delivered to immigration authorities, who intend to deport him, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy Winter.
Under advisory federal sentencing guidelines, Idais faced zero to six months in prison. But U.S. District Judge John Padova said the case was unusual, given Idais’ conviction in Israel.
Idais smiled as the judge delivered the sentence. He had pleaded no contest to making a false statement on a U.S. visa application.
Winter said that Idais had lied repeatedly and tried to manipulate the court and immigration service.
Idais entered the United States on a student visa but never attended college. He was charged with failing to disclose a 1999 conviction in Israel for throwing stones, disturbing the peace, and membership in Hamas.
On the witness stand, Idais said, “I have never been a member of Hamas.”