In brief
Dr. Rasha Alawieh, a kidney transplant specialist at Brown University, faced deportation from Boston's Logan Airport earlier this year even though she held a valid visa. After attending the funeral of a Hezbollah leader, federal officials detained her for over 36 hours, citing evidence of her family's political affiliations. Her case attracted public attention, but a federal judge has since dismissed her lawsuit, stating he lacked authority to alleviate the five-year ban imposed as a result of her deportation.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – In a recent ruling, a federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Dr. Rasha Alawieh, a Lebanese kidney transplant specialist, challenging her deportation from Boston’s Logan Airport. The deportation occurred earlier this year despite Dr. Alawieh holding a valid visa, with immigration officials claiming she had ties to Hezbollah, notably after attending the funeral of the group's former leader.
The controversy began in March when Dr. Alawieh was detained for at least 36 hours upon her arrival from Lebanon. During her detention, Homeland Security officials reviewed her phone and discovered images related to Hezbollah. Alawieh contended that her interests were purely spiritual regarding the deceased leader, although she acknowledged that some family members support his political stance.
Her case garnered significant media attention as her family rallied legal support to contest the deportation. While a federal judge temporarily halted her removal pending a hearing, customs officials reportedly initiated her deportation before the judge's order could be acted upon.
On October 31, U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin concluded that he lacked the jurisdiction to provide Alawieh with the relief she sought, specifically stating he could not lift the five-year ban stemming from her expedited removal. The judge emphasized that the legal barriers Alawieh faced were not a result of her initial detention but were typical of the expedited removal process.
In his decision, Sorokin referenced Congress and a U.S. Supreme Court ruling from 2020 that limited the ability of federal judges to intervene in fast-track deportation cases. His ruling effectively solidifies the immediate implications of her deportation, barring her return to the U.S. for five years.
