PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A Brown University professor with a U.S. visa who was deported to Lebanon this weekend attended the funeral of a Hezbollah leader, according to Homeland Security officials.
Hezbollah is a Shiite Muslim political party and militant group based in Lebanon. It has strong backing from Iran and opposes Israel’s right to exist, according to BBC. It is a designated terror organization in the U.S. and many other Western countries.
“Last month, Rasha Alawieh traveled 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,” Homeland Security wrote in a social media post. “Alawieh openly admitted to this to CBP officials, as well as her support of Nasrallah. A visa is a privilege not a right — glorifying and supporting terrorists who kill Americans is ground for visa issuance to be denied. This is commonsense security.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a a separate statement saying foreigners traveling to the U.S. with a visa are not guaranteed entry, noting that border patrol agents have final say on who can enter the country following security checks, CNN reports.
Brown University Professor Had Photos of Hezbollah Figures on Phone, Justice Department Says
The Justice Department also detailed its reasons for deporting Alawieh in court filings, which have since been sealed by a federal judge. Several news outlets were able to obtain those records before they were sealed, and the Boston Globe reports Alawieh had pictures of Hezbollah “figures and martyrs” on her phone, as well as photos of Nasrallah.
“According to Dr. Alawieh, she follows [Nasrallah] for his religious and spiritual teachings and not his politics,” the court documents said.
When asked why she deleted the photos just days before arriving back in the U.S., Alawieh reportedly told officers, “Because I didn’t want the perception. But I know I’m not doing anything wrong. I’m not related to anything politically or militarily.”
The decision to deport Alawieh has sparked outrage among some, particularly after a federal judge ordered that she not be removed from the county until a hearing could be held, WJAR reports. Government lawyers said in a court filing Monday that CBP officers who detained Alawieh at Boston Logan International Airport on Thursday did not receive notice of the order until she “had already departed the U.S.”
On Sunday, Brown University officials sent an email advising international students and faculty members to avoid international travel due to “potential changes in travel restrictions and travel bans.”
