The Human Impact of the President's Travel Ban
BALTIMORE (WJZ)-- President Trump's executive order banning refugees and others from seven Muslim-majority countries has families in fear.
Court battles loom and the acting attorney general lost her job for refusing to defend the ban.
From students to foreign workers, many are confused about what to do next--that includes some permanent legal residents holding green cards.
Investigator Mike Hellgren has the emotional stories of those affected.
The Trump Administration objects to even calling this a travel ban, despite the president using those words, it has left many families in an emotionally painful legal limbo--unsure what to do next.
Hamid Karganan rushed to hug his wife--letting out the emotions that built up after she was detained in Iran following the president's executive order, despite her status as a permanent legal resident.
"I just don't think this is fair. I mean, she didn't do anything wrong," said Karganan.
Another Iranian who works in the U.S. as a medical researcher, cut her trip to see her mother overseas short because she feared she wouldn't be allowed back here.
"My mom was crying like crazy because she didn't know if she would see me forever," said the woman.
A man who didn't want to show his face is a Syrian refugee, who fled war there with his three children.
"Do you know that if I go back to Syria, the army would kill me? Any president has the right to protect his country, but when he focus on Syrian refugees, this is very wrong," said the man.
Hannan Raowas also fled Syria, she has a green card and planned to fly her fiance to the U.S. A dream that's now on hold. Yet she's not upset at Mr. Trump.
"I don't blame him. I know it's his country and he wants to keep it safe from terrorists. But you know the refugees, they are not terrorists, you know," said Raowas.
In the wake of this, WJZ found some people with valid U.S. passports being questioned at airports.
Among them was Derrick Cooper, a former marine and Coppin State graduate, said he was delayed while traveling home from business in the Middle East. He was traveling with a green card holder.
"We could potentially go backwards. It was a wake-up call for me. I'm still a black man in America," said Cooper.
A journalist for the BBC, who's of Iranian decent but holds a British passport, was detained while U.S. authorities checked his social media accounts for extremist views.
"I was questioned two times regarding my place of birth which is Iran my work my Facebook my Twitter they seized my mobile phone," said Ali Hamedani.
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