Above photo: Brown University School of Medicine.
Over ‘Sympathetic Photos’ Of Hezbollah Leaders.
The Trump White House has enforced strict policies to persecute legal residents who participated in anti-genocide protests or expressed support for the Axis of Resistance.
Rasha Alawieh, a Lebanese physician and assistant professor at Brown University in the US, was deported to Lebanon over the weekend despite holding a valid US work visa and a federal judge’s order temporarily blocking her removal.
Her detention began Thursday at Boston Logan International Airport following a trip to Lebanon.
We’re calling on the Trump administration to immediately re-admit @BrownUniversity professor Dr. Rasha Alawieh, who was deported to Lebanon despite holding a valid H-1B visa and a judge’s order barring her removal without 48 hours’ notice.
This blatant disregard for due process… pic.twitter.com/Blc38zZUu7
— CAIR National (@CAIRNational) March 17, 2025
Alawieh, 34, had traveled to Lebanon for a family visit, spending two weeks with her parents. Upon returning to the US on 13 March 2025, she was surprised to be detained by immigration authorities at Boston Logan International Airport. Despite her legal visa, her phone was confiscated, and she was prevented from communicating with her family or lawyer. Despite her lawyer’s continued efforts to defend her, she was deported to Lebanon after several hours of detention without any convincing explanation.
US authorities attempted to justify the deportation by citing alleged ties to Hezbollah after discovering “sympathetic photos and videos” on her phone of prominent leaders of the group.
Alawieh allegedly told border authorities she had attended the funeral of the Lebanese resistance movement’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah.
After her cousin filed a lawsuit, Judge Leo Sorokin issued an order requiring federal officials to notify the court before deporting her. However, before the hearing scheduled for Monday, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) ignored the court’s directive and placed her on a flight out of the country.
In response, Judge Sorokin condemned the government’s actions, stating that CBP had knowingly disregarded the order and demanded an explanation. CBP declined to comment, but a spokesperson claimed to Reuters that it follows strict security protocols in screening foreign nationals.
Alawieh’s deportation has sparked outrage at Brown University, where colleagues expressed disbelief over the decision.
“None of us know why this happened,” said Dr George Bayliss, a Brown medical professor who works with Alawieh.
Brown issued a statement saying it is investigating the situation but advised international students and faculty to reconsider travel due to potential policy changes.
Her case is part of a broader escalation of immigration enforcement since US President Donald Trump took office, which has recently deported hundreds of people despite judicial orders and is considering new travel restrictions affecting citizens from multiple countries.
Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist who helped lead student protests at Columbia University against Israel’s genocide in Gaza, faces deportation after being arrested by federal immigration officials.
President Trump has warned that the arrest of Khalil, a legal permanent resident, represents the “first arrest of many” as he cracks down on campus opposition to the war in Gaza on Israel’s behalf.