A Brown University assistant professor and doctor was deported from Boston to Lebanon over the weekend after US authorities said she attended the funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and expressed support for him, according to a statement from the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Monday.
Dr Rasha Alawieh, 34, admitted to federal agents that she had gone to Nasrallah's February 23 funeral in Beirut, a public event attended by thousands.
A DHS spokesperson said on X: “Last month, Rasha Alawieh travelled 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.”
The spokesperson added: “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 common sense security,” the spokesperson added.
Alawieh, who holds undergraduate and medical degrees from the American University of Beirut, reportedly explained her connection to Nasrallah during questioning. In a court filing, she described him as “a religious figure” who was “highly regarded in the Shia community.”
A lawyer representing her family said outside a Boston court on Monday, “Our client is in Lebanon, and we’re not going to stop fighting to get her back in the US to see her patients, and we’re also going to make sure that the government follows the rule of law.”
Dr. Rasha Alawieh (Image: X)[Missing Credit]
Alawieh told officers that she followed his religious and spiritual teachings but does not support his politics, according to the website Politico.
Hezbollah, a militant group backed by Iran, opposes Israel’s right to exist and is considered a terrorist organisation by the US, UK and Israel, among others. The group launched rocket attacks against Israel in solidarity with Hamas after the October 7 assault.
Federal agents also found photos of Nasrallah and Iran’s Supreme Leader on Alawieh’s cell phone during a search at Boston Logan International Airport. According to Politico, these images were discovered in a deleted folder during a federal search.
"So I have a lot of WhatsApp groups with families and friends who send them," Alawieh explained. "I am a Shia Muslim and he is a religious figure. He has a lot of teachings and is highly regarded in the Shia community."
"I think if you listen to one of his sermons, you would know what I mean," she added. "He is a religious, spiritual person. His teachings are about spirituality and morality. I admire him from a religious perspective."
Alawieh also acknowledged to immigration officers that Hezbollah was a terrorist organisation, according to Politico.
A spokesperson for Brown University said the institution was investigating the incident. “We are seeking to learn more about what has happened, but we need to be careful about sharing information publicly about any individual’s personal circumstances,” said Brian Clark.
Alawieh’s deportation follows the Trump administration’s efforts to tighten border controls and increase immigration arrests.
A Lebanese citizen, Alawieh was approved for a visa in 2023 to work at Brown University’s medical school in the Division of Nephrology after completing studies at three US universities since 2018. She travelled to Lebanon last month for what she thought would be a short visit but was delayed in returning while awaiting paperwork from the US Consulate in Beirut.
Her paperwork was approved on March 11, but when she arrived at Boston’s airport two days later, she was detained and informed she would be deported.
This incident comes just days after the detention of Columbia University graduate and pro-Palestinian protest organiser Mahmoud Khalil, whose deportation was temporarily halted by a judge.
