Alaweih Deported, Khalil Imprisoned—Trump Hastens America’s Collapse

The US's decline as an empire is accelerating, and those who once saw Donald Trump as its saviour are now realising he has hastened its downfall.

Trump’s claims of being a champion of peace and free speech are a sham. The recent deportation of kidney surgeon Dr. Rasha Alaweih, the imprisonment of Mahmoud Khalil, his greenlighting of Israel’s resumption of genocidal terror in Gaza, and America’s attack on Yemen that killed more than 40 civilians expose a presidency spiralling out of control. Trump isn’t a man of peace—but a leader of war and terror.

Dr. Rasha Alaweih, a Lebanese transplant nephrologist and assistant professor at Brown University, was deported from the US on Sunday, despite holding a valid H-1B visa and a court order temporarily blocking her expulsion. Her case raises serious questions about America’s commitment to free speech, due process, and its treatment of Arab and Muslim communities.

Alaweih, a Shi’a Muslim, travelled to Lebanon in February to visit relatives. While there, she attended the funeral of Hassan Nasrallah, the former leader of Hezbollah. According to Alaweih, her attendance was motivated by Nasrallah’s position within the Shi’a community and not a political act. However, her visit set off a chain of events that led to her being barred from re-entering the US.

Returning back to the US March 14, Alaweih arrived at Logan International Airport in Boston, where she was detained by CBP. Despite her right to re-enter the country, she was subjected to a prolonged and contentious process. Her cousin, Yara Chehab, filed a petition arguing that CBP was unlawfully detaining Alaweih without cause and without allowing access to legal counsel. The next day, Judge Leo Sorokin issued an order barring her deportation without a 48-hour notice to the court and scheduled a hearing for 17 March.

The US government however, brazenly ignored the court’s order, and two days later, Alaweih was on a flight to Paris and then to Lebanon.

The Department of Defence later attempted to justify Alaweih’s deportation by alleging her phone contained "sympathetic photos and videos" of Nasrallah, Ali Khamenei, and Hezbollah militants. The claim has sparked concerns that the US is using such accusations as a pretext to silence individuals, particularly Arabs and Muslims, who express any form of solidarity with groups deemed adversarial by US foreign policy.

Alaweih’s deportation isn’t an isolated act of overreach—it’s the latest chapter in America’s long and shameful history of weaponising immigration laws to target dissenting voices.

Under the guise of national security, the US is systematically dismantling the constitutional protections it claims to uphold, using manufactured justifications to exile individuals who refuse to conform to its imperialist agenda. The blatant disregard of a federal judge’s order exposes the grim reality that the rule of law in America is now secondary to political expediency. This isn’t about security—it’s about silencing who challenges American hegemony.

What we’re witnessing is a dangerous transformation of the US into an authoritarian state punishing anyone who refuses to align with its geopolitical interests. Trump, like Biden, has embraced the same draconian tactics it hypocritically condemns in other nations.

Trump is criminalising speech, persecuting political dissidents, and weaponising the legal system to crush resistance, all while masquerading as the world’s beacon of democracy. If Alaweih’s deportation is any indication, America’s future is one where Muslims, Arabs, and critics of US imperialism can be erased from public life with the stroke of a bureaucratic pen, their rights trampled in the name of an ever-expanding security state.

Alaweih’s deportation is part of a broader crackdown targeting Arab and Muslim communities for their political and religious views. Her expulsion, alongside the recent arrest and imprisonment of Mahmoud Khalil, known for his outspoken support of Palestinian rights, reinforces fears the US government is actively working to eliminate dissent and silence critics of its policies.

Khalil, a vocal advocate for Palestinian rights and a staunch critic of US policy in the Middle East, has drawn sharp condemnation from human rights organisations following his detention. His imprisonment, like Alaweih’s deportation, raises troubling concerns about the US's increasing hostility towards free speech and its growing willingness to use legal mechanisms as tools of repression.

Trump’s administration is flagrantly violating the First Amendment of the US Constitution, which guarantees the right to free speech, association, and political expression. If left unchecked, Trump’s crackdown on dissent will pave the way for a chilling new era in which Americans’ rights to speak freely, protest, and criticise their government are systematically curtailed.

Deporting Alaweih and imprisoning Khalil, the US has signalled its willingness to abandon any pretence of human rights in favour of protecting its geopolitical alliances.

Beyond these individual cases, Alaweih’s deportation highlights the increasing vulnerability of international students and professionals in the US who play a crucial role in American universities and research institutions, now face growing risks of scrutiny and deportation if their personal associations or political views do not align with the government’s agenda.

Brown University, where Dr. Alaweih served as an assistant professor, issued a statement condemning the deportation and advising international students to avoid travel for the foreseeable future.

“Dr. Alaweih is a respected physician and educator who has contributed significantly to the academic and medical communities,” Brown University stated. “We stand with Dr. Alaweih and call for her immediate reinstatement to the United States.”

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), have also voiced their outrage, accusing the government of using Alaweih’s deportation as a calculated attempt to send a chilling message to Arab and Muslim Americans. The ACLU described Alaweih’s deportation as “an effort to criminalise free speech, setting a dangerous precedent for future political persecution.”

Alaweih’s expulsion is part of a broader strategy to suppress political activism and silence criticism of US foreign policy. This is only the beginning of a legal and political crackdown designed to crush opposition.

It’s not just Alaweih’s fate at stake, but democracy—free speech, the right to protest, and the ability to hold the government accountable. If the US continues down this path, Americans, particularly from marginalised groups, will see their rights eroded.