Within hours after deporting a Lebanese doctor from Rhode Island for possessing "sympathetic photos and videos" of slain Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, the White House bid a sarcastic farewell to the Rhode Island resident.
The White House shared a post by the Department of Homeland Security with the phrase, "bye-bye Rasha". It was accompanied by a photo of Donald Trump waving from the drive-through window of a MacDonald's.
Dr Rasha Alawieh, who is a kidney transplant specialist, was an assistant professor at Brown University's medical school. The 34-year-old was an H-1B visa holder.
She was detained when she arrived at Boston Logan International Airport on March 13. The DHS claimed that Rasha openly admitted to attending the funeral of Nasrallah on February 23 when she was in Lebanon.
The authorities found pro-Hezbollah images and clips in her phone's deleted items folder that included photos of Nasrallah and Hezbollah fighters.
The DHS pointed out that a visa is a privilege and not a right. "Glorifying and supporting terrorists who kill Americans is grounds for visa issuance to be denied. This is commonsense security," the department stated.
The DHS move comes amid a court order allowing Alawieh to remain in the US until a hearing is held. However, the government lawyers claimed that the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials did not receive the order until the plane left.
Stephanie Marzouk, Alawieh's lawyer, said they will keep fighting to bring back the doctor.
Alawieh reportedly told DHS that she followed Nasrallah for "spiritual teachings" and alleged that she deleted the files in her phone to avoid any negative perception. "I know I am not doing anything wrong," she said.
This comes after an Indian student, Ranjani Srinivasan, self-deported herself after the US authorities cancelled her visa for taking part in protests supporting Palestinians. The 37-year-old was pursuing a doctoral degree in urban planning from Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAPP).