Donald Trump's renewed presidency has unleashed a wave of deportations that, in their brutality and contempt for the rule of law, evoke the darkest chapters of history. The latest example: the expulsion of Dr. Rasha Alawieh, a Lebanese transplant surgeon with a valid H-1B visa, who was employed at Brown University. Despite a court order halting her deportation, she was arbitrarily removed from the United States—a clear indication that the rule of law in the U.S. is being systematically eroded. The Trump regime's strategy is evident: this is not about crime prevention, but about a targeted campaign against scientists, academics, and immigrants who do not fit into the administration's reactionary worldview. While Trump and his supporters claim to be fighting "foreign criminals," in reality, highly skilled professionals are being expelled en masse. Among them are not only Alawieh but also Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil and Indian researcher Ranjani Srinivasan—both individuals who have committed no crimes and have no legitimate reason to be persecuted.
Particularly perverse is the blatant disregard for judicial orders. When U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin ruled that the government must provide 48 hours' notice before Alawieh's deportation, the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) simply ignored it. This is a direct violation of the legal system, further pushing the U.S. towards autocracy. The same pattern applied to the mass deportation of over 250 people to El Salvador—despite a judicial order halting the process. A scenario once associated only with authoritarian regimes is now becoming reality in Trump's America. The absurdity of this deportation policy is starkly illustrated by Alawieh's case. She was one of the few highly specialized transplant surgeons, trained at elite institutions such as Ohio State, the University of Washington, and Yale. Her expertise in kidney transplants was invaluable to Brown University’s clinic. Her H-1B visa was valid until 2027, and she had no record of misconduct—yet she was expelled. Her removal not only caused a critical shortage of medical personnel at the clinic but also underscores the administration’s complete indifference to the consequences of its actions.
This development raises a crucial question: Does the UN Charter not apply here? Article 14 grants the right to asylum, Article 7 ensures protection from discrimination, and Article 10 guarantees fair trials. Yet all these principles are being trampled under Trump. While it is not unprecedented for a U.S. president to overstep legal boundaries, the aggression and systematic targeting of innocent individuals under Trump inevitably recall the tactics of fascist regimes. As the rest of the world watches in horror, the question remains: How much longer will Americans tolerate these blatant violations of the law? The slow but steady transformation of the United States into a "Third Reich 2.0" is well underway—and whether there is still enough resistance within the country to stop it remains to be seen.
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