But a few strokes of a presidential pen threw the lives of Mr. Alshawi and his family into chaos. While Mr. Alshawi, 33, was on the plane, President Trump signed an executive order suspending the entry of all refugees into the United States for 120 days. Mr. Alshawi was detained at Kennedy by the authorities on Friday evening, setting off a legal battle as lawyers for him and another detained Iraqi refugee sought their release. About six hours later, after an anxious and tear-filled day for his relatives in Houston, Mr. Alshawi was set free and allowed to continue his travels toward a reunion with his family. D. worked for the United States in Iraq, as did her brother.

Source: New York Times January 29, 2017 01:13 UTC