Two brothers from Yemen who were detained at Dulles Airport because of the president’s immigration order have reunited with their father.
The Aziz brothers were supposed to meet up with their dad, who’s a U.S. citizen from Michigan, but because of the travel ban they never connected.
Monday morning Tareq Aziz, 21, and Ammar, 19, arrived at Dulles again. This time, they were greeted by a crowd cheering them on and then a big hug from their father, Aquel.
"I'm so happy. I'm so glad. This is America. America is for everybody," Aquel said.
The Aziz brothers spent about 18 months working to get their visas, but the day President Trump signed an executive order involving immigrants, their visas were taken and stamped with the word ‘cancelled.’ The order banned people from seven mostly Muslim countries, including Yemen.
Their father had no idea his sons were detained at Dulles until they were sent back on a non-direct flight, which left them stuck in Ethiopia.
"I was shocked. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't even think," Aquel said.
He got help from the Legal Aid Justice Center to get his sons back.
"The Aziz brothers were among the first two people in the world to file a lawsuit, seeking an injunction prohibiting the implementation of that Muslim ban," said attorney Simon Sandoval-Moshenburg.
One of the first two restraining orders were issued against the ban as a result.
“The return of our clients is hopefully a state to the return of a just immigration policy,” Sandoval-Moshenburg said.
The Aziz brothers are flying back with the father to Flint, Michigan Monday evening.
