SAN FRANCISCO: A 12-year-old girl who was stranded in an African country after President Donald Trump signed an executive order temporarily banning people from seven predominantly Muslim nations from entering the U.S. has reunited with her family in San Francisco.
Eman Ali and her father, Ahmed, arrived together Sunday at the airport, where they were greeted by her older sister and other relatives as well as many reporters.
She ran to embrace her older sister, Salma, and the two hugged and cried.
Eman and her father had been stuck in the east African nation of Dijbouti since Monday, when authorities refused to let Eman board a plane with him to the United States because she is from Yemen. The Middle Eastern nation is one of the seven predominantly Muslim nations listed in Trump’s order. That order was halted by a federal judge in Seattle on Friday.
Eman’s father, mother and older sister are U.S. citizens, but Eman, who was born in Yemen, had not yet received citizenship when Trump issued his order. Her lawyer says she became a citizen upon entry.
Her father a 38-year-old grocery store manager from Los Banos, California, said he spent five years trying to get Eman a visa.
Ahmed Ali said he’s now happy to be home with all his family and adds “it’s the best feeling.”
Ahmed Ali criticized Trump’s order. “It’s not fair. I mean some people they are bad, but that doesn’t make everybody bad,” he said.
Through her father, Eman Ali said she’s excited to see her mother and her younger sister.