Lebanese Doctor Deported from the U.S. Despite Valid Visa

A federal judge is seeking an explanation for why a physician from Lebanon, who held a U.S. visa, was deported despite being instructed not to remove her until her case had been heard.

Dr. Rasha Alawieh, who was 34 years old, received her visa on March 11 and reached Boston Logan International Airport on Thursday. This information comes from a complaint submitted to federal court on her behalf by one of her cousins.

Previously residing and working in Rhode Island, Alawieh faced detention for at least 36 hours until Friday. The document stated he would be deported to Lebanon. Notably, Alawieh is a kidney transplant specialist slated to begin his role as an assistant professor of medicine at Brown University.

On Friday, U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin ordered that an in-person hearing be set for Monday, requiring Alawieh to appear in court.

“The court intends to proceed with this hearing regardless of whether she remains in U.S. custody,” he stated.

However, by Saturday, the cousin submitted a filing stating that customs personnel “deliberately” ignored the directive by returning Alawieh to Lebanon.

Sorokin set an ultimatum for the government to reply by Monday morning before the commencement of the planned 10 a.m. hearing. As of yet, the government’s response has not been made public.

The complaint stated that Alawieh had previously worked at Brown before receiving her H1B visa. She has also been associated with fellowships and residencies at three U.S. universities, according to the document.

A representative from Brown stated that Alawieh works for Brown Medicine and holds a clinical position at Brown.

Brown Medicine is a non-profit healthcare provider operating as an independent entity. It delivers care directly to its patients and has ties to the medical program at Brown University.