A federal judge canceled a hearing for Dr. Rasha Alawieh, a Lebanese doctor and assistant professor at Brown University, who was sent back to Lebanon after being detained by immigration officials in Boston. Judge Leo Sorokin had ordered Alawieh to be kept in the U.S. and brought to a court hearing, but she had already departed the country by the time officials received notice of his instructions. Alawieh was questioned about photos on her phone that allegedly depicted Hezbollah fighters, and she admitted to attending the funeral of a Hezbollah leader. The Department of Homeland Security stated that supporting terrorists is grounds for visa denial and entry to the U.S. Alawieh’s family claimed the government disobeyed the judge’s order by sending her out of the country, but government attorneys maintained they took the court’s order seriously. Alawieh has been in the U.S. on an H-1B visa since 2018, and her family has not been provided with reasons for her detention and removal. The case reflects the ongoing crackdown on immigration by the Trump administration, particularly targeting visa holders affiliated with universities. Customs and Border Protection emphasized their strict protocols for identifying and stopping threats to national security. Alawieh’s cousin and her legal team have not responded to requests for comment.
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