RI Doctor's Deportation Hearing Delayed After New Info Comes To Light: Report

EAST PROVIDENCE, RI — A federal judge reportedly postponed a Rhode Island doctor's deportation hearing to give U.S. Customs and Border officials time to respond to allegations they disobeyed a court order to not deport her until her case was reviewed.

Dr. Rasha Alawieh was detained at Logan Airport in Boston on Thursday after returning from visiting her family in Lebanon. Alawieh works at Brown Medicine’s Division of Kidney Disease and Hypertension in East Providence and also teaches medicine at Brown University.

Documents filed in federal court ahead of the hearing originally scheduled for Monday morning argue the contents of Alawieh's phone led to her detention and deportation. Federal authorities argued border officials found "sympathetic photos and videos" of Hezbollah leaders on her cell phone, as well as photos of "various other Hezbollah militants" in her deleted photo folder, the Providence Journal reported.

It is not clear the date Alawieh's hearing will be postponed to.

U.S. Rep. Gabe Amo (D-Pawtucket) issued a statement in support of Alawieh.

"Since Friday, my office and I have been directly engaged with local and national lawyers, as well as other members of Congress, to assess the facts surrounding Dr. Alawieh, including the apparent violation of a federal judge’s order," Amo said. "I remain committed to getting answers from the Department of Homeland Security to provide Dr. Alawieh, her family, her colleagues, and our community the clarity we all deserve."

Also read: Rhode Island Doctor Deported: Reports.