It was an emotional homecoming at O'Hare, as Abraham was finally reunited with his father. The little boy was carrying a balloon with the American flag. His father immediately picked him up, holding him and kissing him on the cheek. And despite the delay in being reunited with his family, he said he still loves the United States.
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"Finally. Finally. I'm so happy. I'm glad. That's why I love this country, nobody above the law," Hani Amrani, his father, said.
Hani is a resident of Bridgeport. He and his son Abraham are U.S. citizens, and his wife holds an IR1 resident visa. Both have been stuck in Dubai since the day after Trump announced a ban on travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen where Hani and his wife are from.
"It was a very stressful week. I was so worried about my family. Because I cannot send them back to Yemen, it's a war zone," he said.
But a federal judge overturned Trump's ban, calling it unconstitutional.
Asked what he would say to the president if he could, Hani said, "I just want to tell him, this country is not a hotel that he owns, it's the USA. It's so crazy. Unbelievable what he did and the way he was thinking. You cannot separate people based on religion and race. It's a free country. And it's clear in the Constitution, it says freedom of religion."
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Now that his wife and son are back in the U.S., all three plan on spending some quality family time together starting with a vacation to Universal Studios in Orlando.
Family reunited at O'Hare after separation by travel ban
Trump's ban is supposed to be lifted because of an appeals court ruling, but attorneys in Chicago said there is still much work to be done. They are concerned the president will announce a new ban, or in extreme circumstances border agents will detain and reject people coming into the country as their own decision.
"They are, they are rogue employees. This has been a historical problem by CBP, some employees are not in the mood to enforce laws," said Vivian Khalaf, immigration attorney.
As spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Border Patrol told ABC 7 Eyewitness News, "Allegations regarding CBP employee misconduct are viewed seriously and investigated by the CBP Office of Professional Responsibility. [Travelers who feel they have not been treated fairly may] file a formal written complaint at cbp.gov."