A kidney doctor who trained at Ohio State was deported despite a valid visa.
A doctor with previous connections to Columbus has been deported after visiting family in Lebanon, despite having a legal visa and passport.
Dr. Rasha Alawieh is a kidney specialist who did a fellowship at the Ohio State University's medical school from 2018-20. Alawieh hds been working at Brown University in Providence since July, according to the Providence Journal, a USA Today Network newspaper in Rhode Island.
Alawieh recently obtained another visa and was returning from a two-week trip to see family in Lebanon Thursday when customs officials at Boston Logan International Airport detained her.
Federal authorities deported Alawieh on Friday evening — despite a federal court order to delay her deportation flight for at least 48 hours.
The Providence Journal reported that Alawieh, 34, worked at Rhode Island Hospital with kidney transplant recipients, evaluating patients at multiple stages of their procedures.
She had recently attained from the American consulate in Lebanon an H-1B visa, a category for foreign nationals with extensive training in specialty fields that allowed her to be in the U.S. through mid-2027. That's according to one of her colleagues and Thomas S. Brown, an attorney who handles immigration and visa issues for doctors affiliated with Brown Medicine who spoke with the Providence Journal.
Attorney Brown said Alawieh had the correct visa and passport: 'She was clear to return,' he told the Providence Journal.
Alawieh first came to the United States in 2018 to complete a two-year fellowship at Ohio State University in nephrology, the medical specialty of kidney diseases, according to a complaint her cousin Yara Chehab filed in Massachusetts-based federal court.
Alawieh is listed on an OSU website as a past fellow who finished her fellowship in 2020.
Alawieh also did a transplant nephrology fellowship at the University of Washington and a residency at Yale University. She had a J-1 student visa for her first years in the United States, but the H-1B visa is more appropriate for teaching jobs, according to the court complaint.
Despite delays in getting her visa while visiting Lebanon in February, her visa was issued on March 11, the complaint states.
The Trump administration is reportedly considering travel bans on people from up to 43 countries, the New York Times reported Friday. Lebanon is not on the list, which is subject to change.
awinfrey@dispatch.com
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Dr. Rasha Alawieh, who trained at OSU, deported after Lebanon visit
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Morgan Nick's family reflects on 30-year disappearance
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Monday marks 30 years since Morgan Nick's disappearance, with the Arkansas State Capitol lit up in pink in her honor. Colleen Nick, Morgan's mother, says she will continue to honor her daughter's legacy and life no matter how many years pass by. 'No mother should have to bear this,' Community members react to Morgan Nick investigation update Nick spoke of how her daughter had a personality that could light up any room. 'Morgan was just this bright, bubbly little girl,' Nick adds. 'She loved apples and bubble gum; she thought it was a food group. She wanted to grow up to be a circus performer and a doctor.' The then 6-year-old Morgan Nick was at a Little League baseball game at the Alma Baseball Complex with her mother on the night of June 9, 1995, when she went to catch fireflies with two friends in a parking lot next to the ballpark. 'She really wanted to go,' Nick said. 'She gave me a hug, then kissed me on the cheek, and then climbed down the bleachers with the other kids, and they ran into the parking area 50 yards from where we were sitting. We could very clearly see them playing.' The friends Morgan was seen with later returned, but she was not with them. Nick says the other kids told her Morgan was in her car, taking sand out of her shoe. 'About that time the game ended, the team we were watching came off the right-hand side of the bleachers,' Nick remembered. 'So, when we were engaged with them cheering and shouting, our backs were to the parking lot for four or five minutes, we were engaged with that team, and when I glanced back – I didn't see Morgan.' Texas-based company discovers DNA link between Morgan Nick and a potential suspect Nick goes on to say that after she spoke with the friends Morgan was with, she 'walked over to the car thinking she had just gotten inside, and I opened the doors and Morgan wasn't inside.' Nick says that night turned into a large manhunt to bring Morgan home, with about 10 different agencies searching on the site. 'We were absolutely determined to find Morgan and believed with all of our hearts we would find her right away,' Nick said. 'Then a few hours went by, a few days, then a few weeks, but still I never thought we would be here 30 years later.' As time has gone by, Nick says one major thing has changed: the use of technology that has led to a break in the case. Nick came across an article about the Texas-based Othram Labs DNA testing. 'We can work with material that is degraded, very old, very low quantities that no one else would work with,' Othram Labs CEO David Mittelman said. Over the years, one man remained a constant possible suspect, Billy Jack Lincks. Officers first questioned Lincks weeks after Morgan's disappearance, following another attempted kidnapping involving an 11-year-old girl in Van Buren, just 8 miles away from Alma. During the press conference held by Alma Police back in October, Police Chief Jeff Pointer stated, 'Police questioned Lincks on August 31, 1995; he denied any knowledge of Morgan's abduction and appeared to be truthful at that time; investigators moved on.' But with DNA testing advancing, in December of 2023, hair collected from Linck's truck was sent to the Texas lab for testing. 'The bottom line is the physical evidence collected from the truck that Lincks owned when Morgan was abducted strongly indicates that Morgan had been in this truck,' Pointer said. As for Nick, who was at the press conference that day, she says it was devastating to learn that piece of information. 'It was heartbreaking for us,' Nick said. 'That's not what we wanted, that wasn't what we had fought for the end for Morgan. Our dream was to somehow bring her home to our family, where she deserves to be, but also, if the answer is out there, we would want that.' Arkansas State Police official speaks on identifying victim in 40-year-old cold case After the attempted kidnapping in Van Buren, Lincks was convicted of sexual solicitation and later died in prison at 72 in the year 2000. 'It's disappointing to us that he can't be held responsible because he died in prison for the same kind of crimes,' Nick said. Although Morgan is still missing, she has continued to impact many lives. In 1996, Nick established the Morgan Nick Foundation, set on helping families who have missing loved ones and letting them know they are not alone. 'He (Lincks) took her away from us, he took her away from our family, but he did not extinguish her light, her light shines on. That is why so many lives have been touched,' Nick said. Nick says that last year, they worked with more than 1500 families in the state, becoming a beacon of hope for others. 'When you have a community of people who can walk together, I think it gives families a lot of strength, a lot of resources help them to stay focused on fighting for their missing person,' Nick said. Nick says she missed so many moments with her daughter over the past 30 years, but she will make sure Morgan's legacy and light remain brighter than ever. 'I think about it a lot as the 30 years comes up, she was only 6 years old when we lost her, but she has changed the world more than any 6-year-old I know,' Nick said. Director, mother discuss docuseries about Morgan Nick case Since the Alma Police's press conference in October, the chief says there's been no new information. However, the case is still being investigated. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
Defense attorney's dramatic courtroom move has legal experts talking in Karen Read murder trial
Wearing two black gloves and slamming his palms on the podium Monday, Karen Read's defense attorney Robert Alessi moved for a mistrial for a second time in her retrial on murder charges in the death of her former boyfriend, Boston cop John O'Keefe. The exchange, based on special prosecutor Hank Brennan's questioning of a defense witness regarding holes in the back of O'Keefe's sweatshirt that were put there by a state crime lab employee, got Alessi trending among true crime followers on X Monday afternoon, but it also drew praise from defense attorneys who are not connected to the case. Read's defense denies the prosecution's allegation that she killed O'Keefe by backing into him with her Lexus SUV amid a drunken argument and fled the scene. They have maintained that the vehicle never struck him at all, and that something else caused his injuries. "If I'm Alessi, I'm throwing out those missiles every time," said Louis Gelormino, a New York City defense lawyer. During a motion hearing without jurors present, Brennan asked the judge to instruct jurors about his error rather than grant the motion for a mistrial. "It appears that I made a mistake," he said, conceding that a state criminologist made the holes and documented them in her records. Gelormino told Fox News Digital that the longer things play out, the better off Read will be – especially if this trial ends without a verdict like her first one. WATCH: Karen Read defense moves for a mistrial again "A third trial, the county might not wanna pay for," he said. "They might give her a plea at that point. The longer these things go out, the better it is for the defense. All the time." Read's first trial ended with a deadlocked jury last year, prompting Judge Beverly Cannone to declare a mistrial and the district attorney's office to bring in high-profile defense attorney Brennan as a special prosecutor. His rich and powerful clients have included the mobster James "Whitey" Bulger. The defense moved for a mistrial earlier in the second trial as well in another contentious exchange over O'Keefe's hoodie, arguing Brennan improperly brought up the absence of dog DNA evidence during cross-examination of a witness who claimed holes in O'Keefe's sweatshirt were consistent with dog bites. Cannone denied that motion as well as the new one Monday. A routine motion seeking to have her declared not guilty after the prosecution rested its case was also denied. Other legal experts raised doubts about whether the misstep was a mistake or a calculated move. "It is unfathomable that he didn't know that the holes were made by his own witness," said Mark Bederow, another New York City defense attorney who is representing Read ally Aidan Kearney, a Canton blogger. "And what about the two other prosecutors sitting next to him? Are we to believe they didn't know after handling this case for three years?" Unlike Brennan, they were working for the district attorney's office during her first trial, which assistant district attorney Adam Lally led. "There are many reasons why a large segment of the population believes the investigation and prosecution of Karen Read is unjust and lacks credibility," Bederow said. GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB Canton police were cleared of Read's conspiracy allegations in an independent audit completed just before her second trial began – but they made a series of embarrassing missteps during the investigation, including storing DNA evidence in red Solo cups and a grocery bag. The lead homicide detective, Michael Proctor, lost his job with the Massachusetts State Police after another investigation found he improperly shared sensitive and confidential information in a group chat that included lewd and "inappropriate" messages about Read that were read in court. "The prosecution has a higher standard because they are supposed to be about fairness and justice – which is what Brennan said to the press when he took the case," said Grace Edwards, a Massachusetts trial attorney who is closely following the case. "This was not a mistake by a seasoned attorney." Brennan is tasked with overcoming the state's credibility issues and also clean-up after a witness for the commonwealth admitted she gave an incorrect statement to the grand jury and the defense grilled another whose resume showed inflated credentials. "He is good, but he can only play the cards he's dealt," said David Gelman, a Philadelphia-area defense lawyer and former prosecutor, who invoked OJ Simpson's high-drama 1990s trial after Alessi donned black gloves in court and then invoked his A-list defense again. "You can be Johnnie Cochran, and it won't matter." Jack Lu, a former Massachusetts judge and now a law professor at Boston College, was more forgiving of the special prosecutor. "To the aspiring trial lawyer-law student, it shows that even the greatest stumble," he told Fox News Digital. "What a grueling occupation." Dr. Elizabeth Laposata returns to the stand Tuesday for a second day of testimony as the defense nears an end to its case. She testified Monday that O'Keefe's skull fracture was consistent with a backward fall – but something else, possibly a fist, caused the cut above his right eye. Read could face up to life in prison if convicted of the top charge of second-degree murder. She is also accused of drunken driving manslaughter and leaving the scene.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Advocates denounce immigration enforcement raid at Southern New Mexico dairy
Advocates on Monday denounced a recent immigration enforcement raid carried out by Homeland Security Investigations agents that led to the arrests of 11 workers at a southeastern New Mexico dairy farm. María Romano, coordinator of the Lea County office of the New Mexico worker and immigrant rights organization Somos Un Pueblo Unido, said the raid in Lovington — the first of her knowledge in the area — has stoked fear among immigrant communities as tensions surrounding immigration enforcement spike nationwide. "People are sad. They're angry. But more than anything, they're scared," Romano said in an interview in Spanish. In a June 4 post on X, formerly Twitter, the El Paso field office of Homeland Security Investigations — the federal law enforcement agency housed within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement — announced agents had arrested 11 "illegal aliens for violations of fraud & misuse of visas, permits & other documents" during a raid at Outlook Dairy in Lovington. ICE's Facebook page noted the raid in a post Saturday, adding, "Criminal employers who hire illegal workers put other employees and our communities at risk. Plus, they undercut their competition by exploiting illegal alien labor, making it harder for legitimate American businesses to stay afloat." Outlook Dairy manager Isaak Bos declined to comment on the raid when contacted by The New Mexican on Monday. He told the Albuquerque Journal the workers provided false paperwork. Of the 11 people arrested during the raid, Romano said 10 were from Guatemala and one was from Mexico. While she doesn't know where the Guatemalans are currently, she said, she believes the Mexican worker is now back in Mexico. ICE did not immediately respond to The New Mexican's request for more information on the raid, including the location of the 11 people arrested. The Lovington raid and Romano's response to it come amid rising tensions between federal immigration enforcement and immigrant communities across the U.S. Thousands of protesters took to the streets in Los Angeles over the weekend to denounce the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. President Donald Trump deployed hundreds of National Guard troops to quell the demonstrations, while California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced plans to sue the president over the move, calling it an "unmistakable step toward authoritarianism" in a social media post Monday. U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez, a Democrat who represents much of the southern half of the state, on Monday advocated for the Trump administration to "reverse course to restore peace" and maintain focus on reforming the "broken" immigration system. "Raiding workplaces, turning federal agents and the military against American citizens, and transforming our streets into war zones is not how we enforce our immigration laws," Vasquez said in a statement. He added, "We need real immigration reform rooted in due process, public safety, and compassion, not inflamed tensions and conflicts in the street.' In response to the Lovington raid, Somos Un Pueblo Unido issued a news release calling on local and state officials to "push for humane immigration laws" while demanding transparency from ICE and protecting "the rights of all New Mexicans, regardless of immigration status." The organization also provides materials and organizes workshops to ensure immigrants know — and know how to exercise — their civil rights. It's something Romano encourages people to do. "We've spent many years telling people: 'Understand your rights. Learn your rights. Even if you're undocumented, you have rights,' " she said. Romano added, "We have to be very well-informed about our rights and avoid any missteps — because we already know where we'll end up."
