Muslim student denied entry to the U.S.

10/5/2004 7:00:00 AM GMT

A Muslim, high school student from Switzerland was barred by immigration authorities from flying to the United States as part of a foreign exchange program.

The Ethiopian- born student was stopped from flying to the U.S. after his name appeared on a government watch list.

The 17-year-old boy, identified by school officials as Fuad, was left behind 20 of his colleagues from Switzerland who left to New England on Thursday to take part in the exchange program.

Sen. Patrick Leahy's office tried to directly intervene with the State Department. Leahy's spokesman, David Carle, said the department refused to give further details on the incident, nor why was the boy's name on the watch list.

Fuad is a Muslim born in Ethiopia and went with his family to live in Switzerland in 1994.

"He's never been in trouble," said his Swiss teacher, Katherine Conliffe. "He worked all summer to make money for the trip."

''It is infuriating,'' Conliffe said. ''If you have no prejudice and they treat you like that of course you will. I don't think this is helping America.''

Leahy is preparing a legislation to require the Department of Homeland Security to set procedures for individuals who believe they were put incorrectly on a watch list after September 11 attacks.