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Who Is Rasha Alawieh? Trump Deports Her for Allegedly Attending Hezbollah Leader Hassan Nasrallah’s Funeral – Did She Really Attend? News24 –


US president Donald Trump has been in the headlines for his new deportation and taxation policies. The U.S. has maintained a firm stance on Iran, making it clear that it will not tolerate Iranian aggression. Last week, the U.S. launched a wave of airstrikes on Yemen, killing at least 37 people. Just a day later, Alawieh, 34, was deported for allegedly attending the funeral of Iran’s Supreme Leader and Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah. Rasha Alawieh was a Brown University assistant professor and doctor. She was deported last weekend from Boston to Lebanon.

Who Is Rasha Alawieh?

Alawieh, a 34-year-old Lebanese national who is a kidney transplant specialist, was an assistant professor of medincine at Brown University. She had Previously worked there before receiving her H-1B visa and had held fellowships and residencies at three US universities.

is holding an H-1B visa. A kidney transplant specialist, Alawieh was set to begin work as an assistant professor of medicine at Brown University. She had previously worked there before receiving her H-1B visa and had held fellowships and residencies at three US universities. Alawieh, a dedicated doctor, graduated from medical school in 2015 and went on to complete fellowships and residencies at three U.S. universities on a J-1 student visa. Her hard work and expertise earned her an assistant professorship at Brown, where she successfully petitioned for an H-1B visa sponsored by Brown Medicine.

After six long years away from home, she finally had the chance to visit Lebanon this month to reunite with her family.

What Are The Charges Against Her By Trump Government

US federal agents found photos of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Iran’s supreme leader on Alawieh’s cell phone. According to a CNN report, Following Dr. Rasha Alawieh’s return Thursday from a visit to Lebanon, federal agents at Boston Logan International Airport stopped her and found the photos of Nasrallah in her cell phone. It isn’t clear why they checked her phone at the airport.

As per the CNN report, The existence of the photos was outlined in a court filing Monday which said, “In explaining why these multiple photos were deleted by her one to two days before she arrived at Logan Airport, Dr. Alawieh stated that she did not want to give authorities the perception that she supports Hezbollah and the Ayatollah politically or militarily,”

“I think if you listen to one of his sermons, you would know what I mean,” Alawieh allegedly told the agents, according to WCVB’s copy of the filing. “He is a religious, spiritual person. As I said, he has very high value. His teachings are about spirituality and morality.”

The publisher, citing sources, reported that Alawieh, 34, admitted to federal agents that she attended Nasrallah’s February 23 funeral—a public event attended by thousands—during her visit. Alawieh described Nasrallah, who was killed last September by an Israeli airstrike in Beirut, to the officers as a highly regarded religious leader and told them she follows his religious and spiritual techniques but not his politics. The federal agency believe that she had attended Nasrallah’s funeral.

What Happened At Boston Logan International Airport On March 13

Dr. Rasha Alawieh, an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Brown University, faced an unexpected and distressing ordeal upon her return to the U.S. Despite holding a valid H-1B visa, she was detained at Boston Logan International Airport on Thursday after arriving from Lebanon, where she had been visiting family.

What began as a routine return quickly turned into a legal battle. A family member, alarmed by the situation, alerted her attorneys. On Friday, U.S. District Judge Leo T. Sorokin in Massachusetts issued an order barring her deportation without at least 48 hours’ notice to the court. However, in a shocking turn of events, she was deported that very evening, arriving back in Lebanon on Sunday morning.

While she remained detained at the airport, her cousin, Yara Chehab, took swift legal action, filing a complaint in U.S. District Court against officials from the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection. The complaint argued that Dr. Alawieh was being held without justification and denied access to legal counsel. It also pointed out that her visa had been approved by both the State Department and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, raising serious questions about why Customs and Border Protection chose to detain and deport her.

Her case has since sparked debate, highlighting concerns about due process and the treatment of legal visa holders under the current immigration policies.

What The Federal Agency Said About Her

“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,” a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said.

“A visa is a privilege not a right – glorifying and supporting terrorists who kill Americans is grounds for visa issuance to be denied. This is commonsense security,” the spokesperson added.

In a separate statement, Customs and Border Protection said foreigners traveling to the US with a visa are not guaranteed entry, adding that border patrol agents have final say on who can enter the country following security checks.


Written By

Lakshmi Ranjith

Mar 18, 2025 13:12