Brown University warns international students against travel after Rasha Alawieh's deportation

Rasha Alawieh, an assistant professor on an H-1B visa, was detained after returning from a trip to Lebanon

Brown University is advising international students and staff to avoid travel outside the US after one of its professors, a Lebanese-born kidney transplant specialist, was deported upon returning from a trip to her home country.

Travel restrictions amid uncertainty

In a campuswide email viewed by The Wall Street Journal, Brown warned that changing travel bans and re-entry rules could prevent non-citizens—including those with visas or green cards—from returning as planned. The warning comes ahead of spring break, a time when many students and faculty travel internationally.

The advisory follows the case of Dr. Rasha Alawieh, an assistant professor at Brown, who was denied re-entry at Logan International Airport in Boston despite holding an H1B visa sponsored by the university. Homeland Security alleged that she had attended the funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, a claim Alawieh denied.

Controversy over deportation

According to federal prosecutors, Alawieh had images of Nasrallah and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on her phone, which she deleted before re-entering the US. She explained to border agents that she was part of WhatsApp groups where such images were shared and that she followed Nasrallah for religious teachings, not political reasons.

Despite a judge's order to keep Alawieh in the US for at least 48 hours, she was deported, sparking concerns among academic institutions over travel risks for international scholars.

Broader concerns for international students

Brown is not alone in issuing travel warnings. Dartmouth College and Columbia University have also urged caution, particularly for those from countries previously affected by US travel bans. Columbia specifically advised individuals from nations such as Iran, Syria, Venezuela, and North Korea to avoid non-essential travel.

As legal battles over travel restrictions continue, universities are increasingly concerned about the implications for international students and faculty.