The Trump administration has deported Dr. Rasha Alawieh, an assistant professor at Brown University’s medical school, after she attended the funeral of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah.

Alawieh was arrested by federal authorities at Boston’s Logan International Airport after arriving from Lebanon on Thursday. 

A search of Alawieh's phone uncovered materials showing her support of the terrorist organization Hezbollah and Nasrallah, who is responsible for the deaths of thousands.

Alawieh is in the United States because she has an active visa to live and work in the United States, meaning that the Trump administration was able to revoke her visa and deport her.

Zero Tolerance

This move to deport Alawieh has generated outrage from Democrats but sent a strong message to legal residents who are not citizens that being in the United States is a privilege that can be revoked.

Alawieh's family and supporters are claiming that the Trump administration had no right to deport Alawieh as she was a legal resident. However, legal residence and citizenship are not the same thing.

The Department of Justice confirmed that there is substantial evidence that Alawieh has an affinity for Hezbollah.

Alawieh allegedly admitted that she attended the Nasrallah funeral last month while visiting family in Lebanon, suggesting that the exact purpose for her visit was to show support for the terrorist organization.

According to the DOJ, Alawieh claimed she attended the funeral for "religious" purposes and not for political reasons. Alawieh claims that it was a religious event to attend the funeral of a slain terrorist responsible for thousands of deaths.

A statement from the Department of Homeland Security, "A visa is a privilege not a right — glorifying and supporting terrorists who kill Americans is grounds for visa issuance to be denied. This is common sense security."

Brewing Court Battle

While a lawsuit to stop Alawieh's deportation was filed, the Trump administration ignored the litigation to deport Alawieh, in the same manner that the Trump administration ignored a court order when it deported violent gang members.

Of course, the Trump administration has denied any wrongdoing in this situation setting the stage for a massive court battle that could have significant legal implications for non-citizen residents.

Ignoring court orders is not a precedent that any government leader should begin, but the Trump administration feels justified in doing so because of the courts' apparent ignorance of the law.

While it's unclear what tipped the DOJ off about Dr. Alawieh and her support of Hezbollah, one thing is clear; terrorist sympathizers and supporters have no place in the United States.