Hasidic religious worker held in New York faces deportation to Israel over pro-Palestinian views

Summary

Yehonatan Ovadia, a 35-year-old Hasidic religious worker, is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in New York City and faces potential deportation to Israel over his pro-Palestinian views, according to Middle East Eye. He came to the US in 2022 on a temporary religious worker visa from Israel. The US Department of Homeland Security told Middle East Eye that he re-entered the US in April 2024 on a visa that expired in November 2025. His lawyers said US Citizenship and Immigration Services first approved his congregation's request to renew his worker classification through 2028, then denied it days later as a matter of discretion. USCIS told his lawyers the denial was because of a 2023 pro-Palestine protest he attended. Community members who asked to remain anonymous said he was charged after pro-Palestine demonstrations in Ramapo, New York, in November 2023, where an Israeli flag was torn down. He faced charges of criminal mischief, petty larceny, conspiracy and disorderly conduct, with the first three charged as hate crimes. Ovadia admitted taking part in the protest and driving participants to the site but denied tearing down the flag. Prosecutors eventually dropped the charges. His lawyers say he is not a criminal and has no criminal convictions.

Timeline

1. Middle East Eye

   20 Oct 2026, 19:48 UTCSource ↗

   Reports that Yehonatan Ovadia, a 35-year-old Hasidic religious worker held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in New York City, faces potential deportation to Israel over his pro-Palestinian views, and details his visa history, the USCIS denial of his renewal, and the dropped 2023 hate-crime charges.

2. Middle East Eye

   20 Oct 2026, 22:10 UTCSource ↗

   Reports in a live blog update the same case of Yehonatan Ovadia facing deportation to Israel over his pro-Palestinian views, including that USCIS initially approved and then denied his worker classification renewal.