Family and friends of a Rhode Island physician have alleged authorities wanted to deport her at all costs, after her plane was allowed to depart even as a federal court issued a directive aimed at preventing her immediate deportation from the United States.
The order was issued on Friday. At the same time, an aircraft with Dr. Rasha Alaweih waited on the tarmac at Boston's Logan International Airport, and was given permission to take-off.
"They (authorities) did not do anything to stop the plane. So, clearly, they wanted to deport her regardless of if there was a judge's order or not. She didn't do anything wrong," Dr. Basma Merhi, a family friend and associate of the deported physician, told The Providence Journal.
For six years, Alawieh had pursued studies and work in the US, and since July 2024, she had been employed at Brown Medicine's Division of Kidney Disease & Hypertension in Rhode Island.
There, she used to assess potential transplant candidates and monitored their post-procedure progress, according to Dr. George Bayliss, the transplant division's medical director.
Returns from Lebanon; detainedAt Boston's Logan airport, customs officials detained Alawieh, 34, on Thursday as she returned after a fortnight-long family visit to Lebanon, according to family friend Merhi and solicitor Thomas Brown, who manages immigration and visa matters for Brown Medicine-affiliated doctors.
Brown indicated that Alawieh was travelling on a recently obtained H-1B visa from the American consulate in Lebanon.
The H-1B classification is a temporary permit enabling employers to sponsor highly-qualified foreign professionals for 'specialty occupations.'
Brown stated that the visa authorised Alaweih stay through mid-2027.
He mentioned that during Alawieh's airport detention, a minor visa application issue came up, but had been 'relatively easy' to resolve.
"They did issue the visa, so whatever is going on is not the consequence of the actions at the American consulate, as far as I know. She was clear to return. She had the visa, she had the right passport. Everything was looking good," he said.
The following day, Alawieh's supporters acted swiftly to halt her deportation, with Yara Chehab, her cousin, submitting a complaint in US District Court, Massachusetts, against the Department of Homeland Security and the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials.
Chebab's complaint accused federal authorities of 'unlawful' detention of her cousin and not allowing attorneys to talk to Alaweih.
"Despite repeated requests from Dr. Alawieh's family members and a volunteer attorney, CBP refuses to provide any justification for their detention, refuses to allow the attorneys to talk to Dr. Alawieh, and refuses to provide assurances that Dr. Alawieh will not be deported to Lebanon," the complaint stated.
Later that day, US District Judge Leo Sorokin passed an order preventing Alawieh from leaving Massachusetts without 48 hours' notice to allow court consideration.
The timing of the order's receipt by immigration officials remains uncertain. CBP Ryan Brissette did not respond to enquiries in this regard.
'She's being treated like a terrorist'Alawieh is currently in detention at the Paris airport and has a flight to Lebanon on Sunday, her family friend said.
"Alaweih received a brief phone call upon landing in Paris and contacted her mother with reassurances. She is being treated like a terrorist. It is ridiculous. She is an accomplished doctor and treats patients. And she is following all the rules. She is not doing anything wrong. And her Visa is valid," the friend added.