In brief
The lawsuit filed by Dr. Rasha Alawieh, a kidney transplant specialist who was deported from the U.S. after immigration officials cited her support for a Hezbollah leader, has been dismissed by a federal judge. The judge stated he did not have the power to lift the five-year ban on her re-entry into the U.S. following her expedited removal. Alawieh's case garnered national attention but was ultimately resolved against her in court.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit challenging the deportation of Dr. Rasha Alawieh, a physician from Lebanon, who was sent back to her home country from Boston’s Logan Airport despite possessing a visa. This decision was influenced by allegations from immigration officials regarding her support for a Hezbollah leader and previous attendance at his funeral.
Dr. Alawieh, a kidney transplant expert at Brown University, was detained for more than 36 hours after arriving from Lebanon. During her detention, authorities reviewed her phone and found photos related to Hezbollah. While Alawieh asserted her interest was primarily spiritual, she acknowledged that some family members supported Hezbollah's political agenda.
Alawieh’s legal team initially gained some traction when a federal judge agreed to pause her deportation for a hearing. However, customs officials allegedly proceeded without notifying all parties, leading to her return to Lebanon.
On October 31, U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin dismissed her case, explaining he lacked jurisdiction to provide her the relief sought, specifically related to the five-year ban on re-entering the U.S. He emphasized that this ban stemmed from the expedited removal order that had prompted her deportation, rather than her initial challenges against her detention.
“This Court simply cannot issue in this habeas action the orders Alawieh hopes to obtain,” wrote Sorokin. The judge pointed out that the relevant congressional law and a Supreme Court decision limited federal district court judges from intervening in such expeditious removal matters.
Following the ruling, an email was sent to Alawieh’s attorneys for further comment. As the legal implications of this case are evaluated, it shines a light on the complexities surrounding deportation processes for individuals with ties to contentious political figures.
