Federal Judge Probes Unlawful Deportation of Lebanese Doctor

Federal Judge Leo Sorokin is investigating the deportation of Dr. Rasha Alawieh, a Lebanese doctor with a US visa, who was removed despite a court order. Alawieh, a transplant specialist set to work at Brown University, was detained and sent back to Lebanon, prompting legal challenges.

In a case raising legal questions, a federal judge is scrutinizing how Dr. Rasha Alawieh, a Lebanese doctor holding a US visa, was deported from the United States. Judge Leo Sorokin had ordered that Alawieh not be removed until he could review her case.

Alawieh arrived at Boston Logan International Airport and was detained despite her planned position as an assistant professor of medicine at Brown University. She was held for 36 hours before being deported, according to a legal complaint filed on her behalf.

By Saturday, customs officials had allegedly ignored Sorokin's directive by sending Alawieh back to Lebanon. The judge has demanded a government response to this claim by Monday morning, ahead of a scheduled hearing.

(With inputs from agencies.)