LOS ANGELES -- An Iranian man turned away from Los Angeles International Airport under a White House executive order returned Thursday to a welcome from family members who greeted him with California-grown flowers and well-wishers who sang "This Land Is Your Land."
RELATED ARTICLES
http://www.arkansas…">Democrats' boycott fails to derail EPA nominee http://www.arkansas…">Trump targets tax law on church campaigning http://www.arkansas…">In freeze, IRS can't hire blind http://www.arkansas…">Top U.S. diplomat goes to work http://www.arkansas…">Campus cancels rightist's speech http://www.arkansas…">Israeli vows new settlement http://www.arkansas…">Senate sends coal-rule repeal to Trump http://www.arkansas…">North Korea focus of Mattis trip http://www.arkansas…">Arkansans: Prayer meals uplifting http://www.arkansas…">Tehran snubs Trump warning http://www.arkansas…">Senators reassure Australia after call
"Welcome to your new home," Mayor Eric Garcetti told Ali Vayeghan as he walked out of an airport terminal.
Vayeghan's family had been waiting to welcome him last Friday at the same terminal when he was detained for several hours by immigration officials then sent back to Iran under President Donald Trump's executive order barring travelers from seven Muslim-majority nations.
He was allowed to return to the United States after the American Civil Liberties Union filed legal action against the federal government.
[PRESIDENT TRUMP: Details on administration, previous coverage, photos, videos]
On Sunday, U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee ruled that Vayeghan had a legal travel visa and had been approved for a green card and that not allowing his return was unconstitutional and would do him grave harm.
"I'm very happy and I'm very grateful," he said Thursday.
Vayeghan was among hundreds of people detained or turned away from U.S. airports after the ban was implemented. Garcetti said Thursday that he was the first to be returned, promising he would not be the last.
Vayeghan traveled to the U.S. to join his family in Los Angeles and see his son in Indiana for the first time in 12 years.
Vayeghan's brother, sister-in-law and niece had gathered at the airport with flowers and signs, 15 minutes before the flight was scheduled to arrive. As hours passed, Vayeghan did not appear.
When they inquired with airport workers, they were told a new immigration order had been issued and it could take several hours to process. At midnight, there was still no sign of him and an airport information desk was closed.
"At that point we got really, really frightened," the niece, Marjan Vayghan, said. "Because as far as we were concerned, he had just vanished into thin air."
The family eventually returned to their home in Los Angeles. His niece posted a message on Facebook lamenting her uncle's ordeal and fell asleep crying into her pillow.
The next day the family returned to the airport, stunned to find thousands of people protesting the travel ban.
At an airport news conference, his niece thanked the judge, attorneys, mayor and others for getting her uncle safely back.
Information for this article was contributed by John Rogers of The Associated Press.
A Section on 02/03/2017