A female professor from an Ivy League university was forcibly deported from the U.S. after being detained at Boston Airport during the immigration inspection process. This incident highlights the increasing risk of deportation for both illegal immigrants and legal residents under the Trump administration’s hardline “anti-immigration policy.” Professor Rasha Allawi, a kidney transplant specialist at Brown University School of Medicine, was detained and deported despite holding a valid H-1B work visa.
Professor Allawi, 34, had travelled to Lebanon to visit her family and attend the funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Upon her return to the U.S. on March 13, she was detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and, within a day, deported to Paris, in apparent violation of a federal court order requiring authorities to notify the court 48 hours before deportation. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) cited her attendance at Nasrallah’s funeral as the reason for her detention, as Hezbollah is classified by the U.S. as a terrorist organization.
The DHS did not provide details on how they learned of her attendance at the funeral, nor did they clarify whether she had been charged with any crime or immigration violation. Allawi’s attorney pointed out that the U.S. consulate in Lebanon had issued her H-1B visa while she was in Lebanon, and she had no criminal record or immigration violations.
This deportation has sparked concerns among the international academic community, with Brown University advising its international students and researchers to avoid traveling abroad until further guidance from the U.S. State Department is available. The legal community, as well as civic groups, have strongly opposed the deportation, with a federal court ordering CBP to respond to allegations that they violated the court’s order to notify it prior to deportation.
Immigration attorney Kim Seong-hwan noted that deportation of H-1B visa holders is highly unusual and an example of CBP’s abuse of authority under the Trump administration’s anti-immigration policies. He clarified that criminal records, such as DUI or drug use, may be grounds for “in admission,” but they cannot be grounds for “deportation” without due process. Deportation typically occurs without trial or review by the Immigration Petition Board.
The H-1B visa is a short-term work visa granted to foreign nationals with specialized skills, such as those in the IT field, and requires a bachelor’s degree or higher. Professor Allawi’s case has raised alarms about the vulnerability of legal immigrants in the U.S., particularly in academic and research fields, where visa holders can be deported without sufficient justification.