US Expels Lebanese Consul Over Hezbollah Bombing Tributes on Social Media

The U.S. State Department has confirmed the deportation of Lebanon’s consul general in Detroit, Ibrahim Charara, due to his social media activity. Reports indicate that Mr. Charara shared posts that appeared to glorify the 1983 Beirut barracks lorry bombing, an attack that resulted in the deaths of 241 U.S. service members and 58 French troops. A State Department representative verified that Mr. Charara's posts caused significant concern, leading to his expulsion from the United States. "The Lebanese consul in Detroit has been designated persona non grata," the representative stated. "Terrorists murdered Americans and our colleagues in the bombings of the U.S. embassy compounds in Beirut in 1983 and 1984, and we will never forget them … anyone in the U.S. who celebrates or justifies terrorist attacks has no place in our country." The separate bombings of the two Beirut embassy compounds in 1983 and 1984 claimed the lives of approximately 60 workers and Lebanese civilians. The State Department representative added that the department regularly reviews information concerning foreign mission members authorized to work in the U.S. and "takes appropriate action consistent with U.S. law and international obligations" when necessary. Since the commencement of U.S. President Donald Trump's second term in 2025, the State Department has intensified its scrutiny of social media accounts belonging to individuals seeking U.S. visas. The department has also become more active in revoking visas for students, workers, and others based on these findings, despite criticisms that the social media monitoring lacks context and can be subjective. Lebanon's consulate general in Detroit, Michigan, has not yet issued a response to requests for comment. The consulate's website, last updated in March, features a message denouncing an attack on a Jewish synagogue in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan. The consulate general's Michigan office is located within a 28-storey office building housing various businesses, organizations, and other entities.