LOS ANGELES — An Iranian man who was barred from entering the United States under President Donald Trump’s executive order on immigration even though he had a valid visa arrived back in Los Angeles Thursday, thanks to a federal judge who ordered his return from the Middle East.
Ali Vayeghan walked into Terminal 2 at LAX around 1:30 p.m., becoming the first person to return to the United States as a result of court action since Trump’s travel ban affecting travelers from seven predominantly Muslim countries was enacted last week.
The order banned indefinitely all refugees from Syria entering the United States. The order blocked all refugee admissions for 120 days, and also stopped all refugee and non-refugee entries from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen and Syria for 90 days.
Vayeghan originally arrived at LAX last Friday, but he never emerged from customs. Anxious family members waited hours, and by Saturday they had partnered with the ACLU and immigration attorney Stacy Tolchin, who obtained court papers needed to secure his release Saturday afternoon.
But it was too late. Vayeghan was put on a plane to Dubai at 3:15 p.m. Saturday. Attorneys continued working on his behalf, and on Sunday afternoon, U.S. District Judge Dolly M. Gee issued an order instructing federal officials to transport Vayeghan from Dubai and admit him to the U.S. under the terms of his visa. She reasoned that Vayeghan would face “irreparable harm” if deported to Iran.
Vayeghan was greeted by his brother and other relatives at the airport, along with Mayor Eric Garcetti and a swarm of television cameras and reporters.
With his family interpreting for him, Vayeghan thanked his supporters, saying “this is humanity, this is what human rights looks like.”
Before Vayeghan returned, Garcetti blasted Trump’s order as “unconstitutional.”
“This moment we’re about to witness shouldn’t be an extraordinary moment,” he said. “Families are reunited at the airport every single day. But unconstitutional executive actions taken by our president have made this a moment to celebrate.”
He said Los Angeles “has more people who are residents from the countries that were banned by the original executive orders than any other city in America by almost three-fold.”
“It does not speak to who we are as a nation. It does not speak to who we are as Angelenos when we say play by the rules and then we suddenly change them,” he said. “… We don’t shut the door on refugees. We are a city of sanctuary, of refuge. And also of defense of our Constitution.”
Trump and White House officials have repeatedly defended the executive order, calling it a temporary regulation needed to secure the nation’s borders and revamp vetting procedures for travelers from the selected countries to combat terrorism.
“I’m sorry that some folks may have had to await a little while (at airport customs lines), but I think the president would much rather know that he’s not placing a call to someone who was killed because someone was let in this country to commit a terrorist act,” White House press secretary Sean Spicer said earlier this week.
Previous related story: Judge’s order blocks part of Trump’s immigration order at LAX
–
callingitasitis says
When anger rises, think of the consequences.
Confucius
Anybody can become angry – that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way – that is not within everybody’s power and is not easy.
Aristotle
Worry is the interest paid by those who borrow trouble.
George Washington
Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president.
Theodore Roosevelt
William says
trump breaks any and all rules, norms, protocols and procedures but he and his troop expect everyone else, including the news media, to abide by them. He gives the Queen of Hearts a run for her money.
Any questions?
Mr fed up says
The governments overall job is protect the civil liberties of its citizens, and protect its borders by land, sea, air! And not to infringe of the rights granted to its citizens by the consitution
BobM says
Eric Garcetti should be dragged out of office and hung from the nearest tree.
Mr fed up says
Offers 3 million toward legal aid for illegals, but trying to raise property taxes for the estimated 3 billion to pay for street & sidewalk repairs
callingitasitis says
I agree our government should not be doing some things (limited). Our government should enforce the laws of the land as per our legal system as set by our laws on our books. The ruling documents of the U.S. Constitution and Amendments. Our government both at the state and federal level SHOULD be out of our lives as written per our US Constitution NOT more. We were warned by our founding father about government involvement in our lives. It is the role of our government to defend the nation and our citizens NOT the world.
It is not the role or right that whether it is private entity or government entity to step on anyone’s legal or constitutional rights. That is why we have criminal and civil courts to resolved the issues for the public good. Otherwise we will resolve the issue our way. Which is generally is not always the most very peaceful. Who crafted the laws of the land? Look to them to resolved the issues. It is not perfect but it is what we have.
The liberties of our country, the freedom of our civil constitution, are worth defending against all hazards: And it is our duty to defend them against all attacks.
Samuel Adams
callingitasitis says
The real question IS can a sovereign country rescind or suspend permission (visas) to enter their country?
Is there a lawful legal treaty enacted by congress and signed by a President that require admission for foreign nationals into the United states of America?
What are the territorial limitation of US constitution?
If you have an answer, please attached the GOVERNMENT LINK from where the resource otherwise it propaganda, not a blogger or media outlet.
We have three branches of government with checks and balances to assure that one branch does not over reach it limits into another branch duty and responsible.
http://uscode.house.gov/
https://www.congress.gov/
http://www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/court-role-and-structure
It may be laid down as a primary position, and the basis of our system, that every Citizen who enjoys the protection of a Free Government, owes not only a proportion of his property, but even of his personal services to the defense of it.
George Washington
Tim Scott says
Problem is that as usual the question “can” is not the same as the question “should.”
Can a sovereign nation revoke a visa arbitrarily, causing expense to the visa holder without any liability? Yes, I have no doubt that they can.
Just like I have no doubt that the Trump Organization can tell a small contractor “We have access to lawyers and can sit on your payment through an extended litigation that you would not survive, even if you eventually won, so we are going to renegotiate and give you fifty cents on the dollar.” That sort of behavior marks a company that I would not work for, under any circumstances, for any pay. Because even though they definitely can they certainly shouldn’t.
Do you want the government that represents you limited to just doing whatever they can, or do you want them doing what they should?