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Trial set for immigrant convicted in Israel deaths

By WTOP Staff

DAVID N. GOODMAN
Associated Press

DETROIT (AP) — A federal judge refused Thursday to dismiss charges against an Arab activist accused of failing to tell U.S. immigration officials in Michigan that she’d been convicted in a fatal terrorist bombing in Jerusalem.

Rasmieh Odeh, associate director at the Arab American Action Network, is being targeted for political reasons, her lawyers said in a motion seeking to have the case thrown out. They said the case grew out of “an illegal investigation of the First Amendment activities” of the Chicago group and amounted to selective prosecution.

U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade said in an Aug. 28 filing that Odeh’s lawyers failed to meet the “high burden” of proof for a selective prosecution charge. U.S. District Judge Gershwin Drain rejected the defense claim Thursday and scheduled Odeh’s trial to begin Nov. 4 in Detroit.

As the case was being heard Thursday, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee in Washington announced that it has asked Attorney General Eric Holder to halt the prosecution, saying it “plays into the belief and perception that the … government is intentionally targeting and prosecuting Arab American activists.”

“Odeh is an exemplary citizen and well-respected leader in the Chicago Arab-American community” who has dedicated her life to the community and worked extensively on issues of women’s well-being and “anti-Arab sentiment,” Samer E. Khalaf, a lawyer for the group, said in a letter to Holder.

An Israeli military court convicted Odeh of bombing a Jerusalem supermarket and trying to bomb the British Consulate in 1969. Two people were killed in the market bombing. Israel freed her after 10 years in a prisoner exchange with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

Khalaf said the military court conviction was based on a confession from Odeh that “was illegally obtained by torture and sexual abuse while she was detained in Israel and denied due process.”

The U.S. attorney’s office in Detroit didn’t immediately return a message to The Associated Press seeking comment Thursday.

U.S. authorities accuse Odeh of failing to mention her conviction and time in prison on immigration papers when she came to the U.S. from Jordan in 1995 and before she became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2004. Her lawyer, Michael Deutsch, has said Odeh had post-traumatic stress disorder and that it should be considered when evaluating her statements to immigration officials.

The judge said he would hear arguments later on whether Israeli court files should be admitted as evidence and whether to grant Odeh’s request that potential jurors answer written questions about their attitudes toward Arabs, Palestinians, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Muslims, U.S. foreign policy and immigrants.

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Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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