In brief
Dr. Rasha Alawieh, a kidney transplant specialist who was deported from Logan Airport in March after attending Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah's funeral, has had her legal challenge dismissed by a federal judge. U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin ruled that he lacked the authority to lift a five-year ban on Alawieh's return, emphasizing that the judge could not alter the expedited removal order that led to her deportation.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit challenging the deportation of Dr. Rasha Alawieh from Lebanon, who was sent back from Boston’s Logan Airport earlier this year despite having a visa. Immigration officials argued her return was justified as she allegedly supported Hezbollah and attended the funeral of the group's leader, Hassan Nasrallah.In March, Dr. Alawieh, a kidney transplant specialist at Brown University, underwent a 36-hour detention at Logan Airport after arriving with her family. While traveling, she had attended Nasrallah's funeral. During her detention, Homeland Security officials reviewed her phone and discovered photos of Hezbollah fighters, which they cited in their decision to deport her. Dr. Alawieh contended she only sought to understand Nasrallah's spiritual beliefs, acknowledging that some family members supported his political stances.The case garnered national attention as her family sought legal avenues to keep her in the U.S. Initially, a federal judge issued a temporary order preventing her removal until further hearings could take place. However, legal representatives claimed that customs officials acted on the removal order before the judge’s directive was communicated.Recently, U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin dismissed Alawieh’s lawsuit, stating he lacked jurisdiction to strike down a five-year ban imposed on her return due to her expedited removal. Judge Sorokin outlined that the ban was a procedural consequence arising from the detention leading to her deportation.In his ruling delivered on October 31, Sorokin indicated that Congressional actions and a Supreme Court ruling from 2020 limited judicial interventions in such expedited deportation processes. This Court simply cannot issue in this habeas action the orders Alawieh hopes to obtain, he stated. An official comment was sought from Alawieh’s legal team following the ruling.
