Federal authorities have arrested a man they say entered the U.S. on a Palestinian passport, became an illegal immigrant, was granted a work permit by the Biden administration and then obtained an illegal firearm.
Sohaib S. Abuayyash had a “radical mindset” and was doing training with weapons “to possibly commit an attack,” the FBI said in an affidavit justifying the arrest of the 20-year-old.
His arrest comes at a time of heightened tension surrounding a possible attack by a Palestinian in the wake of Hamas’s sneak attack on Israel last month.
Authorities hinted at a worrying history for Mr. Abuayyash.
“Through the logical course of the investigation, it was discovered that ABUAYYASH has been in direct contact with others who share a radical mindset, has been conducting physical training, and has trained with weapons to possibly commit an attack,” wrote FBI Special Agent Keith Fogg in an affidavit justifying the arrest.
Authorities said Mr. Abuayyash posted a video of himself to social media showing him shooting rifles at an orange human silhouette target at a firing range in Texas. The video is captioned “Is it halal to marry a piece of weapon?” Halal is Arabic for “permitted.”
As a migrant without permanent legal status Mr. Abuayyash is not permitted to possess a firearm.
Mr. Abuayyash came to the U.S. in 2019 on a Palestinian passport and “indicated” he was a citizen of Palestine. He was here on a tourism visa, which he had obtained in Jerusalem, and was supposed to leave by the end of July 2019 but didn’t leave, making him an illegal immigrant.
He applied for asylum in early 2020 and that case is still pending, but in August the Biden administration granted him a work permit good through the summer of 2025.
In the asylum application he claimed he was a Jordanian citizen.
Mr. Abuayyash is scheduled to be arraigned on Nov. 13.
A judge has ordered him detained pending trial, ruling that he lacks legal status, has a history of violence or weapons and the weight of the evidence against him is “strong.”
