Donald Trump and his regime have promised “mass deportations” of immigrants involved in and convicted of crimes. There have already been deportation flights, and the president has been involved in a number of different crises regarding the legality and constitutionality of his actions.
While there are many people, especially Republican voters, who can get behind the idea of deporting foreign criminals for crimes conducted when in the U.S., deporting fully legal residents with no history of criminality — along with a valid visa — is a much harder sell. Yet that is exactly what has happened, in truly shocking scenes — despite a federal judicial order preventing the said deportation.
Dr. Rasha Alawieh, a transplant surgeon working at Brown Medicine, was detained at the border after returning home to the U.S. following a visit to her family in Lebanon. The Brown Daily Herald, the Brown University newspaper, reported that Alawieh had a valid H1B visa, issued by the American consulate in Beirut, and had been working legally in the U.S. since finishing her studies. A report by The Providence Journal has highlighted points from her cousin, Yara Chehab’s complaint in U.S. District Court, which states that Alawieh was detained without any justification nor any access to an attorney ahead of her deportation.
“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.”
If true, this is an absolutely shocking dereliction of duty made even worse by the fact that the deportation occurred despite orders preventing Alawieh from leaving Massachusetts without 48 hours’ notice. Alawieh was flown to Paris ahead of a final transfer to Lebanon expected on March 16 despite the order. It’s been reported that it’s currently unclear whether the immigration authorities responsible for the deportation received the order, but regardless, a woman has been deported without cause and despite there being judicial orders against the deportation.
Commentators on X have described the situation as “sickening,” as well as “disgraceful” and “unconstitutional.” Others described Alawieh’s deportation as a “loss for America.” It’s hard to disagree with them, as the available facts of this case suggest that deportation should never have even been considered in the first place.
When it came down to it, the only thing that seemingly mattered to authorities was her status as a foreign national. Her co-worker at Brown Medicine, Dr. Basma Merhi, said exactly what many will be thinking after hearing of Alawieh’s story.
“They 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. […] They are treating her like a terrorist. It is ridiculous. She is an accomplished doctor, she is treating patients, who is treated like a criminal. And she is following all the rules. She is not doing anything wrong. And her Visa is valid.”
Alawieh’s situation will be a chilling reminder for many migrants in America that their situation is precarious. It doesn’t seem to matter that Alawieh had a visa valid through to 2027; it’s apparently irrelevant that she had committed no crimes; her high-skill, medically-necessary work was of no consequence. If Trump wants deportations of foreign citizens, deportations Trump shall have — no matter the legality, constitutionality, or the massive human cost.
Published: Mar 16, 2025 5:34 PM UTC