Thomas S. Brown, a lawyer who handles immigration and visa issues for doctors affiliated with Brown Medicine, said that Alawieh was returning to the U.S. on a valid H-1B visa, which would have allowed her to work in the country until mid-2027.

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 commonsense security,” Homeland Security said in their statement.