Dr Rasha Alawieh, a Lebanese kidney transplant specialist, was deported despite holding a valid U.S. visa and a federal judge’s order blocking her removal. Authorities cited her "open admission" of supporting Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and attending his funeral.
Alawieh’s lawyer, Stephanie Marzouk, vowed to fight for her return, as protests erupted in Rhode Island over the deportation, which critics call politically motivated.
“A visa is a privilege, not a right—glorifying and supporting terrorists who kill Americans is grounds for visa issuance to be denied. This is commonsense security,” the Associated Press quoted Homeland Security as saying.
Who is Rasha Alawieh?
Dr Rasha Alawieh, a 34-year-old Lebanese physician, is a kidney transplant specialist and assistant professor at Brown Medicine. According to the Associated Press, she previously worked in Rhode Island and held fellowships and residencies at Yale, Ohio State University, and the University of Washington. She was returning from a two-week visit to Lebanon when detained at Boston Logan International Airport. Brown Medicine officials have described her as an "outstanding physician" crucial to Rhode Island’s transplant program.
According to NBC, Alawieh completed her medical residency at the American University of Beirut Medical Centre after earning her degree from the American University of Beirut in 2015. Before joining Brown Medicine, she underwent J-1 training at Yale Waterbury Internal Medicine, Ohio State University, and the University of Washington.
Why Was She Deported?
Homeland Security claims Alawieh had photos of Hezbollah figures on her phone and attended Nasrallah’s funeral. Alawieh stated she followed Nasrallah for religious reasons, not politics, and deleted the photos to avoid misinterpretation.
The Associated Press reported that the Justice Department has detailed its reasons for deporting Alawieh in court filings, but a federal judge has sealed those documents.
News outlets that obtained those records before they were sealed reported that Alawieh had photos on her phone of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Lebanese militant group for the past three decades. The Boston Globe reported that she also had pictures of Hezbollah “fighters and martyrs” on her phone.
“According to Dr. Alawieh, she follows him for his religious and spiritual teachings and not his politics," court documents state, according to reports.
When asked why she deleted the photos days before arriving in Boston, Alawieh allegedly told officers: “Because I didn’t want the perception. But I know I’m not doing anything wrong. I’m not related to anything politically or militarily,” according to reports.
Legal Controversy
A federal judge ordered that Alawieh remain in the U.S. for a Monday hearing, but officials deported her before receiving notice. The Justice Department has sealed parts of the case. Her deportation has ignited debates on immigration enforcement and judicial authority.
Lawyers for the government said in a court filing Monday that U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Boston airport did not receive notice of the order until she “had already departed the United States,” the judge noted. They asked that the petition be dismissed.
Stephanie Marzouk, Alawieh’s lawyer, said she would not stop fighting to get the 34-year-old doctor back in the U.S., “to see her patients where she should be,” the Associated Press reported.
Marzouk did not immediately return a request for comment regarding Homeland Security’s allegations that Alawieh supported a Hezbollah leader.
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