Court orders Customs officials to explain deportation of Dr. Rasha Alawieh

Dr. Rasha Alawieh, a 34-year-old Lebanese kidney transplant specialist and assistant professor at Brown University, was deported from the United States despite having a valid H-1B visa and a federal court order prohibiting her removal. After returning from a family visit in Lebanon, she was detained at Boston Logan International Airport, and a federal judge had ordered U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to provide 48 hours' notice before any deportation. However, the CBP allegedly disregarded this order, leading to her deportation to Paris, with a subsequent flight to Lebanon. The situation has sparked outrage among her supporters and prompted a court hearing addressing the alleged violations by the DHS. Alawieh's legal representation asserts that her deportation was unlawful and jeopardizes her academic responsibilities at Brown University. The CBP has defended its actions by stating that arriving aliens must establish their admissibility to the United States.