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By Shane Croucher and Dan Gooding
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United States Representative Elise Stefanik urged the Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday to investigate and consider revoking the visa of Dr. Mkhaimar Abusada, a Palestinian political scientist and visiting professor at Northwestern University.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Stefanik cited "concerning reports" about Abusada, who is an associate professor at Al-Azhar University of Gaza, and accused him of "affiliations with terror-linked organizations" and "defense of Hamas violence," among other things.
She said he has a U.S. green card. Newsweek could not immediately verify Stefanik's allegations.
Read More on Politics
Newsweek reached out to Abusada, the DHS press office and Northwestern's media office via email for comment.
Why It Matters
The Trump administration has sought to revoke the visas of college students whom it views as allegedly supporting Hamas, following their involvement in pro-Palestinian protests on campuses over the past 18 months. The administration has also been revoking funding from schools deemed not to have taken action against antisemitism.
What To Know
Stefanik linked to a Washington Free Beacon report that connected Abusada's hiring to a Northwestern agreement with pro-Palestinian activist students that ended their protest encampment last year.
The New York representative, who is known for her pro-Israel beliefs and has backed efforts to investigate colleges over antisemitism, said that Abusada had a history of affiliations with terror-linked organizations, while not providing evidence, as well as leadership roles in Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) with "documented terror ties."
The Republican called Northwestern's agreement to hire Abusada "crazy" and urged the DHS to investigate his visa.
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The Free Beacon's piece alleged that Abusada's involvement with the Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR) and the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) meant he was linked to groups sympathetic to Hamas.
Both organizations, which work in Palestinian territories, have sought to hold Israel to account over what they feel are the country's human rights violations in Gaza, while they have also published reports that criticize Hamas. There has been no credible evidence presented that either group is directly linked to Hamas.
Abusada received a Ph.D. from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1996 and is an associate professor at Al-Azhar University in Gaza, according to Northwestern's website.
The professor was hired as part of efforts to de-escalate protests on Northwestern's campus in April 2024, with the school denouncing both antisemitic and anti-Muslim protesters, many of whom were not affiliated with the college.
When President Donald Trump announced his plans to rebuild Gaza in February, which included relocating the Palestinian people, the professor voiced skepticism about the idea.
Northwestern is among the universities targeted by the Trump administration for allegedly failing to tackle antisemitism, with $790 million in federal funding frozen in April.
What People Are Saying
Dr. Mkhaimar Abusaba told North by Northwestern in February of Trump's plans to rebuild Gaza: "Such statements by President Donald Trump have been greeted and welcomed by right-wing politicians in Israel, so that might be a green light to the Israeli government to continue the war against Gaza. And second, it might destabilize the Middle East."
NGO Monitor President Gerald Steinberg told the Washington Free Beacon: "[Abusaba's] employment as a faculty member is a heinous violation of basic academic norms and moral principles."
What Happens Next
The DHS has yet to respond to Stefanik's appeal.
Update 6/3/25, 10:37 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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