Gov. Cuomo Pledges Aid For Four-Month-Old Iranian Girl Headed To US For Heart Surgery
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- An Iranian baby girl will get to enter the United States for heart surgery after all, following a federal judge's ruling that halted President Donald Trump's travel ban Friday.
As WCBS 880's Kelly Waldron reports, four-month-old Fatemah Reshad's plight went viral when it was reported that she had been diagnosed with a heart condition and needed surgery unavailable in Iran.
When her family tried to bring her to the United States for the surgery, she was refused entry due to the president's executive order on immigration.
But Friday night, Judge James Robart issued a temporary nationwide restraining order that effectively stopped the action. As a result, a waiver has been granted to Fatemah to enter the country, and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has secured legal assistance. In addition, he announced doctors at Mt. Sinai Hospital will perform the procedure for free.
"New York will remain true to the ideals of this nation," Cuomo said in a statement. "We will continue to work with the International Refugee Assistance Project and their partners to ensure this baby receives the treatment she needs."
The governor added that a local law firm has agreed to underwrite the expense of bringing the family and the baby to New York and back to Iran, in addition to all their costs while in New York City.
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