Stranded travelers return to US following Trump’s travel ban

World Today

The suspension of the travel ban opened a window of opportunity for many international travelers, including those with valid U.S. visas who were visiting one of the seven Muslim-majority countries included in the ban.

They are now able to return to the U.S.

CGTN’s Hendrik Sybrandy reports on one woman’s journey during the ban.

Hanan Isweiri’s trip back to her home country of Libya was prompted by her father’s death. And she stayed several weeks to tend to her ailing mother.

On Sunday, she and her 13 month old son were back in the arms of her Colorado family. She summed up her feelings in six short words:”It’s really great to be home.”

Isweiri is an America on an F-1 U.S. student visa but that was of no help to her last week when she found herself in one of the seven Muslim-majority countries included in the Trump Administration’s travel ban.

Because she is a Libyan citizen, she was blocked from entering the U.S. for 90 days. This Ph.D. candidate at Colorado State University believes it’s unfair to change the rules after a visa has been granted.

Once the travel ban was announced, she spent several days stranded in Amman, Jordan, then was forced to fly back to Libya. That was when the ban was lifted temporarily.

“I’m proud that I’m Libyan but I consider Fort Collins home and since the rest of the family were there I was just going to do anything to be here again,” Isweiri said.

There have been other reunions in the past few days involving foreign nationals from other affected countries who found themselves in similar situations while Isweiri was hesitant to criticize U.S. policy.

She insists she’s here legally, has been for seven years now. She tired from her ordeal.

Her next challenge is defending her doctoral thesis on plant physiology, now that she’s firmly back on American soil.


John Banzhaf discusses the latest on Trump’s travel ban

To discuss the latest on Trump’s travel ban CGTN’s Mike Walter spoke with John Banzhaf, professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University.