iranian student deported in chaos of trumps muslim ban
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today
Arab Today, arab today
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today

From seven Muslim-majority countries

Iranian student deported in chaos of Trump's Muslim ban

Arab Today, arab today

Arab Today, arab today Iranian student deported in chaos of Trump's Muslim ban

Demonstrators protest against President Trump
Los Angeles - Arab Today

When Sara Yarjani handed her passport to an immigration officer at Los Angeles airport she was sure she'd be waved through customs, as had happened before. Instead, 23 hours later, she was deported.

The 35-year-old Iranian graduate student became one of the first victims of the chaos unleashed by President Donald Trump's executive order blocking citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Iran, from entering the United States.

Yarjani, who spoke with AFP by telephone late Monday from Vienna, where she is a permanent resident, said her ordeal began shortly after her plane landed Friday evening and -- unbeknownst to her -- Trump's travel ban had kicked in.

"I had been on holiday in Canada to see my sister and then went to Austria and was coming back to resume classes," said Yarjani, a student of holistic health at the California Institute for Human Science, located north of San Diego.

"I was not expecting to be stopped," she said. "I had previously entered the country and was treated very well ... and gone through customs within minutes."

This time she quickly realized that it would be different, as the immigration officer took her passport and ushered her to a waiting area.

Two female officers who barked orders patted Yarjani down as she stood against a wall with her arms raised. She was told to remove her shawl, her jewelry and shoe laces, and was asked to hand over any cash as well as her cell phone -- all of which were later returned.

Yarjani said after nearly four hours of waiting and questioning, during which she was allowed no phone calls, an officer compelled her to sign a form agreeing to deportation on grounds, he claimed, that her student visa was no longer valid.

- 'Leave voluntarily or forcibly' -

"The officer told me 'you have two option-- either you comply and agree to leave voluntarily ... or you will forcibly be deported and face a ban of one to five years or longer of reentry to the US'," she said.

"The way he was saying it was very threatening and I felt I had no choice."

Yarjani said she became aware of the mayhem caused by Trump's order when she was allowed, shortly after midnight, a quick call to her sister to let her know she was being deported.

"I arrived in LA at 8:35 pm Friday and left at 7:30 pm the next day," she said.

Yarjani said as she was being escorted by two armed officers for her flight back to Europe, she was able to briefly check her phone and learned that a federal judge had temporarily blocked part of Trump's executive order.

"I told one of the officers that a judge had ruled against the ban ... and that I should not be put on the plane but all she said was 'wowza' while ordering me to keep walking," Yarjani said.

She said now that she was back in Austria with her parents, she was still trying to come to terms with what had happened and considering her next move.

"It's a very confusing feeling right now because on the one hand I feel thankful I am out of their custody but on the other hand, it's really sad and heartbreaking because I really love what I am studying," she said, her voice breaking.

"I have worked so hard for the past year and a half and it's been such a long journey to get there and to study something I am really passionate about."

She said university officials have been very supportive and concerned about her fate while attorneys from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have also offered assistance.

"Being stopped from entering the country to continue my studies does not make any sense," said Yarjani, who was due to graduate this summer.

"I was treated as if I had done something drastically wrong ... and I don't think studying something that is aimed at helping people is a crime you should be deported for."

Source: AFP

arabstoday
arabstoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

iranian student deported in chaos of trumps muslim ban iranian student deported in chaos of trumps muslim ban

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

iranian student deported in chaos of trumps muslim ban iranian student deported in chaos of trumps muslim ban

 



GMT 10:10 2017 Thursday ,09 February

3 Important Elements You Have to Consider

GMT 04:03 2017 Monday ,24 April

Bella Hadid ‘dying’ to visit Palestine

GMT 19:25 2016 Wednesday ,25 May

The Brooklyn Desk by Oeuf NYC

GMT 07:49 2018 Friday ,05 January

2 Russian servicemen killed

GMT 07:58 2018 Monday ,01 January

Italy orders N. Korea's envoy to leave

GMT 08:45 2017 Wednesday ,20 December

US military imagines war without GPS

GMT 17:26 2017 Sunday ,17 December

Putin thanks Trump for help in foiling attack plot

GMT 22:19 2017 Monday ,16 October

Cairo-hosted Fatwa conf. new contribution

GMT 02:27 2016 Friday ,10 June

Video hints Japan abetting illegal ivory trade

GMT 07:04 2017 Wednesday ,19 April

1,883 Bahrainis found jobs in March

GMT 14:24 2016 Tuesday ,22 November

Citi and JPMorgan top list of ‘globally banks’

GMT 21:43 2017 Friday ,01 September

People question Nazaruddin`s repatriation expenses

GMT 09:41 2017 Wednesday ,19 April

OIC concerned over violence in Mali

GMT 01:30 2017 Friday ,27 October

May22/Jun21

GMT 05:38 2016 Friday ,30 December

Dubai Airports divert 13 flights due to heavy fog

GMT 11:38 2017 Saturday ,14 January

Mexico names new ambassador to US

GMT 12:03 2017 Wednesday ,22 March

Kuwait to mark World Water Day

GMT 15:00 2017 Wednesday ,27 September

HM King receives invitation from Egyptian President

GMT 02:45 2017 Tuesday ,05 December

President Bashir arrives in Chad

GMT 02:45 2017 Wednesday ,16 August

Turkmen President Visits Pakistan
Arab Today, arab today
 
 Arab Today Facebook,arab today facebook  Arab Today Twitter,arab today twitter Arab Today Rss,arab today rss  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
arabstoday, Arabstoday, Arabstoday