In a controversial move, Rasha Alawieh, a Lebanese doctor and scholar in the U.S., was deported after she attended the funeral of a known Hezbollah leader.
The Daily Caller reported that Alawieh's deportation came swiftly despite a judicial order to review her legal challenge against the removal.
Rasha Alawieh, a 34-year-old kidney transplant specialist and assistant professor at Brown Medicine and Rhode Island Hospital, traveled to Beirut, Lebanon, to attend the funeral of Hassan Nasrallah on February 23, 2025.
Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, was killed by an Israeli airstrike in September 2024, concluding his long tenure during which Hezbollah was involved in various activities labeled as terrorism by multiple countries, including the U.S.
Upon Alawieh's attempt to re-enter the United States via Logan Airport in Boston, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers detained her.
During the inspection, officers uncovered images and videos of top Hezbollah commanders in the deleted files section of her cellphone. Alawieh admitted she supported Nasrallah from a religious perspective.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) later issued a statement highlighting the gravity of her actions. "Last month, Rasha Alawieh traveled to Beirut, Lebanon, to attend the funeral of Hassan Nasrallah—a brutal terrorist who led Hezbollah, responsible for killing hundreds of Americans over a four-decade terror spree," the DHS statement read. They emphasized that glorifying such figures was grounds for the denial of visa privileges.
Despite a legal intervention by Judge Leo T. Sorokin, who issued an order not to deport Alawieh until her habeas corpus petition could be thoroughly reviewed, the DHS moved swiftly. Before the CBP was formally notified of the judge’s order, Alawieh was placed on an Air France flight back to Lebanon.
Hilton Beckham, CBP’s Assistant Commissioner of Public Affairs, clarified their stance on such matters. “Foreign nationals who promote extremist ideologies or carry terrorist propaganda are inadmissible to the U.S., plain and simple,” Beckham stated.
He further explained, “A visa does not guarantee entry — CBP has the final authority after conducting rigorous security checks.”
This incident highlights ongoing tensions between academic freedom, national security, and immigration policy. DHS has indicated that these measures are part of broader efforts to curb the entry of individuals with links to extremist groups or ideologies.
The agency has arrested other foreign nationals in recent times, revoking visas linked to alleged sympathies toward terrorist organizations or extremism.
Major news outlets such as The New York Times, The New Republic, and NBC News have not reported on Alawieh's attendance at the funeral, focusing instead on broader geopolitical implications of Nasrallah’s death and the subsequent shifts within Hezbollah.
The deportation has stirred debate within the academic and medical communities, particularly at Brown Medicine and Rhode Island Hospital where Alawieh was renowned for her contributions to kidney transplant medicine.
Colleagues and students have expressed concern over the rapid nature of her deportation and the potential chilling effect it may have on academic freedom.
Legal experts also weigh in, noting the unusual speed of the deportation process in this case, especially given the existing judicial order to delay such action.
Discussions continue on the balance between security and civil liberties, with many advocating for a more transparent and fair process in similar situations. As this situation continues to unfold, it serves as a critical example of the complexities involved in managing national security while respecting judicial processes and individual rights.