Dr. Rasha Alawieh, a Lebanese doctor with a valid H1B work visa for a teaching position at Brown University, was detained upon arrival at Logan International Airport. Her detainment has caused distress within her department. Despite a court order preventing her deportation without proper notice, she was reportedly deported to France, with a continuation to Lebanon, raising questions about DHS procedures.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) detained Dr. Rasha Alawieh, a Lebanese physician, at Boston’s Logan International Airport on March 13 while she was en route to her new teaching position at Brown University. Dr. Alawieh, who holds a valid H1B work visa issued on March 11, was appointed as an assistant professor of medicine specializing in nephrology. She has a distinguished background, having previously trained at the University of Washington and Yale University.
The legal documentation indicates that Brown University’s Division of Nephrology was significantly impacted by her detention, expressing that her absence was creating considerable distress among her colleagues, who were temporarily covering her responsibilities. The document emphasized her critical role, stating, “She is an assistant professor and has serious responsibilities. Dr. Alawieh is an outstanding academic in Transplant Nephrology, and she is needed at Brown Medicine.”
Despite the urgency of the situation, DHS officials did not provide reasons for Dr. Alawieh’s detention. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has not disclosed information regarding her current status. Hilton Beckham, Assistant Commissioner of Public Affairs at CBP, commented on the process, stating, “Arriving aliens bear the burden of establishing admissibility to the United States. Our CBP Officers adhere to strict protocols to identify and stop threats.”
A U.S. district court judge in Massachusetts ruled that Dr. Alawieh should not face deportation without a 48-hour notice and a justification from the DHS. Nonetheless, the DHS reportedly violated this order and deported her to France, with plans for her to travel onward to Lebanon. It remains uncertain if her deportation proceeded as scheduled, with the next court hearing set for Monday morning.
The detention and subsequent deportation of Dr. Rasha Alawieh raise significant concerns regarding her treatment by the DHS, especially given her employment status and expertise in medicine. The lack of transparency surrounding her detention highlights ongoing challenges in immigration protocols. The situation continues to unfold as legal proceedings are expected in the near future, demanding accountability from the authorities involved.
Original Source: abcnews.go.com
