For Democrats, hypocrisy is a virtue.
The funniest part about all this screeching and wailing is that Trump's EO cites a law Obama signed and uses countries identified by the Obama Administration as trouble spots for the temporary ban.
Everything guesser has said on this topic is incoherent and factually false.
UNCONSTITUTIONAL!!
RACIST!!!
THAT ISN'T WHO WE ARE!!!
Incredible.
I hope Team Trump can manage to get themselves together enough to coherently express what you laid out there, above.
I may have been sucked in (again) by Fake News re: Trump Enterprises having Business Interests in the countries exempted from The Ban.
We'll see if The Liberal Left & their MoronMedia get all over such like white on rice. if not then it was indeed just more Fake News.
Eventually though I do believe that he does Resign, Walk Away bcuz:
1.) SUPPORT among The People and Politicians will never grow to be even anywhere remotely close to the amount of Ongoing Loud & Obnoxious Opposition he'll have to endure. He simply will not get the amount of (equally loud) Support that he needs to stay interested and committed to seeing the many tasks through.
2.) Limitations of Diplomacy/Politics. Mexico's last response on (them paying for) The Wall was very telling. That ended with something like: "Both Parties have agreed not to speak further on this matter in public". That equals = Mexico forced Trump to Shut The Fuck Up about Mexico paying for a Wall. YUGE. I don't believe Trump is interested in a Long-term setting that sees him forcibly Fenced In, Walls Built around his own ability to communicate what he thinks freely.
3.) Islamic Terrorism is not the main problem, terrible flaws within the Ideology of Islam and it's Religious Texts and Teachings of it's Religious Leaders are the problem. Humanity is nowhere even remotely close to locating the courage to do what need to be done. The Religion has to be modified, The Religious Texts revised to remove proclamations that Islam must become the Ruling and dominant religion (and political/judicial system via Sharia Law) that controls all of Earth, that declares Women to be the equivalent of Cattle, that says Jewish People are "the descendants of apes and pigs" and declares that its alright to molest children even featuring a "prophet" ("The One and Only Messenger of The Only True God Allah") who did exactly that.
The problem is not with Terrorists but with a Political Ideology and "religion" that contains all that stuff ^^^ and also divides the world into Muslims and Non-believers called "Infidels" who are considered to be Lesser Beings, 2nd Class Citizens and that The God and also The Prophet of this faith declare have only Three (3) Options:
1. Convert to Islam, Worship Allah and Mohammed
2. Live as Dhimmi, Pay Tax (Jizya) to not be killed
3. Be Killed
Obviously this belief system is completely primitive, the most stupid thing that has ever existed on Earth but very very few people are brave enough to stand up and say this so Trump is gonna lose Patience.
3.) Conflict of Interest/(possible) "Emoluments" issues: These will be an ongoing plague to his Presidency, he's not divested to the degree necessary nor should he.
A simple study of those protesting in the streets, Social Media (Twitter & Facebook) and American News Media reveals quickly that a very large portion of the population here in USA are past hope of saving. They are "gone". Chemicals have fukked their Brains, their Development both mentally (intellectually), where regards Gender Identification and even physically...in many instances.
We have a Generation of Mutated Creatures on our hands here. Chemicals in Plastics, Pesticides, The Water, Our Food and Pharmaceuticals have made a monster.
Trump wanted to Make America Great Again but the task is, at present at least, an Impossible Mission.
Pence becomes President, Paul Ryan gets the V.P. Spot then runs against Pence in 2020 and wins the nomination with Trey Gowdy as his Vice President.
Prior to all that though Mike Pence bores the hell out of us for, like, three-something YEARS. Proves to be like a never ending Soma Pill.
Especially after The Ride that The Don took us on.
Can someone tell me who was the President in January 2016?
Under the Act, travelers in the following categories are no longer eligible to travel or be admitted to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP):
Where was guesser?
Why were there no protests?
Under the Act, travelers in the following categories are no longer eligible to travel or be admitted to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP):
- Nationals of VWP countries who have traveled to or been present in Iran, Iraq, Sudan, or Syria on or after March 1, 2011 (with limited exceptions for travel for diplomatic or military purposes in the service of a VWP country).
- Nationals of VWP countries who are also nationals of Iran, Iraq, Sudan, or Syria.
Where was guesser?
Why were there no protests?
McVeigh was raised Roman Catholic.[SUP][90][/SUP] During his childhood, he and his father attended Mass regularly.[SUP][91][/SUP] McVeigh was confirmed at the Good Shepherd Church in Pendleton, New York, in 1985.[SUP][92][/SUP] In a 1996 interview, McVeigh professed belief in "a God", although he said he had "sort of lost touch with" Catholicism and "I never really picked it up, however I do maintain core beliefs."[SUP][90][/SUP] In McVeigh's biography American Terrorist, released in 2002, he stated that he did not believe in a hell and that science is his religion.[SUP][93][/SUP][SUP][94][/SUP] In June 2001, a day before the execution, McVeigh wrote a letter to the Buffalo News identifying himself as agnostic. However, he took the Last Rites, administered by a priest, just before his execution.[SUP][95][/SUP][SUP][96][/SUP][SUP][97][/SUP][SUP][98][/SUP][SUP][99][/SUP][SUP][100]
[/SUP]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_McVeigh#Religious_beliefs
Keep making stuff up, your retarded logic doesn't work on me.
Keep asking this til you get a fucking answer.
Seriously.
This Double Standard, to the degree that we are forcibly surrounded by these whining hypocrite waste-cases is completely Unprecedented in this country.
and "its not who we are." or at least were never ever supposed to become.
Someone has to Step Up and actually ANSWER these questions.
These are not Rhetorical Questions.
vitterd has demonstrated that he is unable to provide an Answer.
This is what happens when you just do things without thinking through the ramifications of your actions
<cite class="el-editorial-source" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: CNN, 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700;">(CNN)</cite>Two brothers, their wives and children left war-torn Syria with 16 suitcases and crossed the border into Lebanon. They were finally on their way to the United States after working for almost 15 years to join their family members stateside.
But after a flight from Beirut to Doha, Qatar, and then to Philadelphia on Saturday, the two families were told to get on a flight back to Doha. It was because President Donald Trump had just signed an executive order denying citizens from seven countries, including Syria, entry into the United States.
Sarmad Assali and her daughter, Sarah, are among the relatives who were waiting to welcome the families to the United States. Sarmad Assali said they received a call from authorities Saturday morning telling them their relatives would not be allowed to enter the country.
According to the Assalis, their family members do not speak English very well and were told by authorities they could either be detained and have their visas taken away, or they could take the first flight back to Doha.
Frightened and facing a language barrier, the six family members chose the second option. Sarmad Assali told CNN she wished she had been able to speak with them, since she would have told them to stay until she could arrive with her attorney.
[h=3]A long immigration journey[/h]
The Assalis are Orthodox Christians, one of the most persecuted groups in Syria.
Their relatives, whom Sarmad and Sarah Assali did not want to identify for their protection, began their immigration process in 2003. In late 2015 they were finally approved to enter the United States on an F-4 visa for brothers and sisters of US citizens.
What immigrants need to know about Trump's order
The relatives finalized their paperwork, immigration interviews and medical examinations during a 10-day trip to Jordan in late December last year.
The Assalis have helped bring family members to the United States before. In 2013, they were able to bring in one relative, and last month they were able to bring the brothers' sister and her daughter.
The brothers waited to join them until after they could pack up their homes in Syria, Sarmad Assali said.
"We bought them a house, we furnished it for them, to help them start a new life," she told CNN.
But that plan is now on hold until the family can figure out a legal route forward. They have been in touch with their congressman, Republican Charlie Dent, as well as attorneys to figure out a plan.
Dent took a very vocal stance Sunday on behalf of the Assali family.
"I certainly agree that we can always improve our visa vetting and refugee vetting program, and I don't have any question about that," said Dent said CNN's "New Day Weekend."
"But I think it's wrong in the case that I was dealing with, with the family already in flight when the order was issued, and having no idea at the time of arrival they would be turned around."
[h=3]Mayor 'sickened' by situation[/h]
Their attorney, Jonathan Grode, has an emergency conference Sunday with other attorneys about the new regulations, Sarmad Assali said. She also noted that a protest is planned Sunday at Philadelphia International Airport in support of their relatives, along with other immigrants who have been turned back.
Trump immigration order: Families feel the impact
"It makes me so sad that this great country is doing this to our Christians and to these people and to my family," Sarmad said.
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney released a statement about the two families' plight.
"I am sickened by reports that federal officials, without knowledge or cooperation of PHL Airport staff, detained and then turned away two Syrian families," Kenney said in the statement.
"By several accounts, these families waited months to obtain the proper documentation so they could come to our country legally. And still, they were sent back to a war-torn nation that has used chemical warfare against its own people. The Trump administration very well may have just given these families a death sentence."
Said Sarah Assali, "We're all feeling a lot of anger, a lot of disappointment in our government. ... It's against our ethics as Americans."
<cite class="el-editorial-source" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: CNN, 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700;">(CNN)</cite>Two brothers, their wives and children left war-torn Syria with 16 suitcases and crossed the border into Lebanon. They were finally on their way to the United States after working for almost 15 years to join their family members stateside.
But after a flight from Beirut to Doha, Qatar, and then to Philadelphia on Saturday, the two families were told to get on a flight back to Doha. It was because President Donald Trump had just signed an executive order denying citizens from seven countries, including Syria, entry into the United States.
Sarmad Assali and her daughter, Sarah, are among the relatives who were waiting to welcome the families to the United States. Sarmad Assali said they received a call from authorities Saturday morning telling them their relatives would not be allowed to enter the country.
According to the Assalis, their family members do not speak English very well and were told by authorities they could either be detained and have their visas taken away, or they could take the first flight back to Doha.
Frightened and facing a language barrier, the six family members chose the second option. Sarmad Assali told CNN she wished she had been able to speak with them, since she would have told them to stay until she could arrive with her attorney.
[h=3]A long immigration journey[/h]
The Assalis are Orthodox Christians, one of the most persecuted groups in Syria.
Their relatives, whom Sarmad and Sarah Assali did not want to identify for their protection, began their immigration process in 2003. In late 2015 they were finally approved to enter the United States on an F-4 visa for brothers and sisters of US citizens.
What immigrants need to know about Trump's order
The relatives finalized their paperwork, immigration interviews and medical examinations during a 10-day trip to Jordan in late December last year.
The Assalis have helped bring family members to the United States before. In 2013, they were able to bring in one relative, and last month they were able to bring the brothers' sister and her daughter.
The brothers waited to join them until after they could pack up their homes in Syria, Sarmad Assali said.
"We bought them a house, we furnished it for them, to help them start a new life," she told CNN.
But that plan is now on hold until the family can figure out a legal route forward. They have been in touch with their congressman, Republican Charlie Dent, as well as attorneys to figure out a plan.
Dent took a very vocal stance Sunday on behalf of the Assali family.
"I certainly agree that we can always improve our visa vetting and refugee vetting program, and I don't have any question about that," said Dent said CNN's "New Day Weekend."
"But I think it's wrong in the case that I was dealing with, with the family already in flight when the order was issued, and having no idea at the time of arrival they would be turned around."
[h=3]Mayor 'sickened' by situation[/h]
Their attorney, Jonathan Grode, has an emergency conference Sunday with other attorneys about the new regulations, Sarmad Assali said. She also noted that a protest is planned Sunday at Philadelphia International Airport in support of their relatives, along with other immigrants who have been turned back.
Trump immigration order: Families feel the impact
"It makes me so sad that this great country is doing this to our Christians and to these people and to my family," Sarmad said.
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney released a statement about the two families' plight.
"I am sickened by reports that federal officials, without knowledge or cooperation of PHL Airport staff, detained and then turned away two Syrian families," Kenney said in the statement.
"By several accounts, these families waited months to obtain the proper documentation so they could come to our country legally. And still, they were sent back to a war-torn nation that has used chemical warfare against its own people. The Trump administration very well may have just given these families a death sentence."
Said Sarah Assali, "We're all feeling a lot of anger, a lot of disappointment in our government. ... It's against our ethics as Americans."
First off, I am tired of hearing about the Oklahoma City bomber every time someone wants to deny that we have a serious problem with muslim fundamentalists. For every Oklahoma City I could show you THOUSANDS of terrorist acts committed by muslims. You are in denial if you don't recognize the threat from Mohamed. The notion that Trump was the one that started this is just ridiculous. The seven countries on the list were picked by Obama. This was a strong move by the President. However, we are a country of laws and three branches of government were separated so that one branch could not usurp too much power. There are checks and balances. We will see how this one pans out. I would note that the Judge that halted this was an Obama appointee. To think that this was a bad executive order is just ridiculous. Trump said he was going to do this and he kept to his word.
President Trump's executive order banning refugees and others from entering the United States damages many; but none worse than a small group of Muslims who were willing to sacrifice their lives aiding our troops: language translators in Iraq and Afghanistan.
These people took a grave risk by serving the US military and intelligence forces in their home countries. Rather than plotting against us, they stood next to us, helping us understand local languages and dialects; gathering and interpreting lifesaving intelligence.
[h=1]They took a risk for the US -- and Trump's ban leaves them in the cold[/h]By Steve Israel
Updated 7:49 AM ET, Sun January 29, 2017
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[h=4][/h]
<video controls="" src="http://cvp1.cdn.turner.com/xslo/cvp/assets/video/blank.mp4" id="cvp_1" preload="none" poster="http://i2.cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/170128162007-trump-order-strands-iraq-refugess-damon-pkg-00000000-medium-plus-11.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; position: absolute; width: 548px; height: 308.25px;"></video>
Wife separated from husband after Trump's ban 03:11
</section>
<section class="zn zn-body-text zn-body zn--idx-0 zn--ordinary zn-has-multiple-containers zn-has-23-containers" data-eq-pts="xsmall: 0, medium: 460, large: 780, full16x9: 1100" id="body-text" data-vr-zone="zone-1-0" data-zone-label="bodyText" data-containers="23" data-zn-id="body-text" data-eq-state="xsmall medium" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 15px 0px 0px; overflow: hidden;">[h=3]Story highlights[/h]
<q class="el-editorial-note" style="box-sizing: border-box; quotes: none; display: block; font-style: italic; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-size: 0.9333333333rem; line-height: 1.4285714286; padding-top: 10px; color: rgb(115, 115, 115);">Former Rep. Steve Israel, a Democrat from New York, is chairman of the Long Island University Global Institute and a CNN contributor. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his.</q>
<cite class="el-editorial-source" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: CNN, 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700;">(CNN)</cite>President Trump's executive order banning refugees and others from entering the United States damages many; but none worse than a small group of Muslims who were willing to sacrifice their lives aiding our troops: language translators in Iraq and Afghanistan.
These people took a grave risk by serving the US military and intelligence forces in their home countries. Rather than plotting against us, they stood next to us, helping us understand local languages and dialects; gathering and interpreting lifesaving intelligence.
Boston mayor: Why cities will protect immigrants (opinion)
Assisting our troops often branded these brave Iraqis and their families unfairly as traitors or American spies, making them prime targets for the same extremist groups we were fighting against.
Trump's big mistake on Syria refugees
That year, I met a brave man named Norwas: one of many Iraqis who assisted our troops in Iraq and arrived in the United States on a special immigrant visa. Through his story, I learned that a translator's arrival in the United States was only the next chapter in a story of struggle, not the happy ending imagined.
Without any help from our government, many would fall through the cracks, go homeless and jobless and be forced to live in poverty. Even returning to the nation they had escaped as refugees seemed like a better alternative to some.
After learning Norwas's story and hearing how the issue affected thousands of others who risked their lives for our troops, I sponsored the Relocation Empowerment and Placement Assistance for Iraqi Refugees Act (REPAIR), which would have helped find jobs and housing for translators who served our country, once they arrived in the United States.
Norwas became a powerful advocate for other former translators and I brought him to meet with many of my colleagues, both Democrats and Republicans. And after hearing his story, the discussion wasn't whether or not Norwas had a right to be here, it was about how best we could help him and others have a chance at living a life of worth within our nation, as they deserved.
Follow CNN Opinion
Join us on Twitter and Facebook
It was a matter of humanity, not a matter of demagoguery. Ultimately, the proposal was unsuccessful, but my office worked with Norwas to help him get his green card and then his Social Security number.
To look at our nation in 2007 compared to 2017, it's very clear that we have moved backwards. Norwas would not be welcomed here with open arms. He would be forced to remain in danger in Iraq solely based on his religion and ethnic background, his service to our nation utterly disregarded.
(Another translator for the United States during the Iraq war was detained at Kennedy Airport in New York this weekend and then released, hours before a judge's emergency stay halted the implementation of Trump's order for the citizens of seven Muslim-majority nations who have already arrived in the United States or who are in transit.)
Trump's immigration ban sends shockwaves
Ironically, and strangely, while banning the translators who aided our nation in the global war on terror, President Trump's ban on refugees from seven nations leaves the door open to the very countries that produced terrorist threats to our nation (Al Qaeda's leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri is from Egypt, 15 of the 19 9/11 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia, and neither country is on President Trump's "banned" list).
This ban -- so broad and discriminatory in scope -- weakens us both morally and militarily. It sends a message to those we have relied on to keep our troops safe even at grave risk to their own families that the reward for their help is a door slammed in their faces. Not exactly a helpful recruiting tool in the future.
</section>
These people took a grave risk by serving the US military and intelligence forces in their home countries. Rather than plotting against us, they stood next to us, helping us understand local languages and dialects; gathering and interpreting lifesaving intelligence.
[h=1]They took a risk for the US -- and Trump's ban leaves them in the cold[/h]By Steve Israel
Updated 7:49 AM ET, Sun January 29, 2017
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<section class="zn zn-large-media zn-body zn--idx-0 zn--ordinary zn-has-one-container" data-eq-pts="xsmall: 0, medium: 460, large: 780, full16x9: 1100" id="large-media" data-vr-zone="zone-0-0" data-zone-label="headerMedia" data-containers="1" data-zn-id="large-media" data-eq-state="xsmall medium" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 15px 0px 0px;">
- [h=3][/h][h=2][/h]
[h=4][/h]
<video controls="" src="http://cvp1.cdn.turner.com/xslo/cvp/assets/video/blank.mp4" id="cvp_1" preload="none" poster="http://i2.cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/170128162007-trump-order-strands-iraq-refugess-damon-pkg-00000000-medium-plus-11.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; position: absolute; width: 548px; height: 308.25px;"></video>
Wife separated from husband after Trump's ban 03:11
</section>
<section class="zn zn-body-text zn-body zn--idx-0 zn--ordinary zn-has-multiple-containers zn-has-23-containers" data-eq-pts="xsmall: 0, medium: 460, large: 780, full16x9: 1100" id="body-text" data-vr-zone="zone-1-0" data-zone-label="bodyText" data-containers="23" data-zn-id="body-text" data-eq-state="xsmall medium" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 15px 0px 0px; overflow: hidden;">[h=3]Story highlights[/h]
- Steve Israel: Muslim translators who helped US troops are among the most hurt by the ban
- They risked their lives to serve the US military and intelligence forces, he writes
<q class="el-editorial-note" style="box-sizing: border-box; quotes: none; display: block; font-style: italic; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-size: 0.9333333333rem; line-height: 1.4285714286; padding-top: 10px; color: rgb(115, 115, 115);">Former Rep. Steve Israel, a Democrat from New York, is chairman of the Long Island University Global Institute and a CNN contributor. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his.</q>
<cite class="el-editorial-source" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: CNN, 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700;">(CNN)</cite>President Trump's executive order banning refugees and others from entering the United States damages many; but none worse than a small group of Muslims who were willing to sacrifice their lives aiding our troops: language translators in Iraq and Afghanistan.
These people took a grave risk by serving the US military and intelligence forces in their home countries. Rather than plotting against us, they stood next to us, helping us understand local languages and dialects; gathering and interpreting lifesaving intelligence.
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Boston mayor: Why cities will protect immigrants (opinion)
Assisting our troops often branded these brave Iraqis and their families unfairly as traitors or American spies, making them prime targets for the same extremist groups we were fighting against.
Trump's big mistake on Syria refugees
That year, I met a brave man named Norwas: one of many Iraqis who assisted our troops in Iraq and arrived in the United States on a special immigrant visa. Through his story, I learned that a translator's arrival in the United States was only the next chapter in a story of struggle, not the happy ending imagined.
Without any help from our government, many would fall through the cracks, go homeless and jobless and be forced to live in poverty. Even returning to the nation they had escaped as refugees seemed like a better alternative to some.
After learning Norwas's story and hearing how the issue affected thousands of others who risked their lives for our troops, I sponsored the Relocation Empowerment and Placement Assistance for Iraqi Refugees Act (REPAIR), which would have helped find jobs and housing for translators who served our country, once they arrived in the United States.
Norwas became a powerful advocate for other former translators and I brought him to meet with many of my colleagues, both Democrats and Republicans. And after hearing his story, the discussion wasn't whether or not Norwas had a right to be here, it was about how best we could help him and others have a chance at living a life of worth within our nation, as they deserved.
Follow CNN Opinion
Join us on Twitter and Facebook
It was a matter of humanity, not a matter of demagoguery. Ultimately, the proposal was unsuccessful, but my office worked with Norwas to help him get his green card and then his Social Security number.
To look at our nation in 2007 compared to 2017, it's very clear that we have moved backwards. Norwas would not be welcomed here with open arms. He would be forced to remain in danger in Iraq solely based on his religion and ethnic background, his service to our nation utterly disregarded.
(Another translator for the United States during the Iraq war was detained at Kennedy Airport in New York this weekend and then released, hours before a judge's emergency stay halted the implementation of Trump's order for the citizens of seven Muslim-majority nations who have already arrived in the United States or who are in transit.)
Trump's immigration ban sends shockwaves
Ironically, and strangely, while banning the translators who aided our nation in the global war on terror, President Trump's ban on refugees from seven nations leaves the door open to the very countries that produced terrorist threats to our nation (Al Qaeda's leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri is from Egypt, 15 of the 19 9/11 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia, and neither country is on President Trump's "banned" list).
This ban -- so broad and discriminatory in scope -- weakens us both morally and militarily. It sends a message to those we have relied on to keep our troops safe even at grave risk to their own families that the reward for their help is a door slammed in their faces. Not exactly a helpful recruiting tool in the future.
</section>
Its is absolutely a most bizarre and frightening situation when the entirety of problems between Islam and the rest of the world stem entirely from the ideology (Belief System) that exists at the foundation of Islam and completely No Body (pretty much) is willing to even take part in an honest DISCUSSION of this truth.
Its is now circa 1394 YEARS that the exact thing our world faces, with Islam, has been happening. Islamic Conquest (attacking and conquering non-muslims or differing tribes of Muslims) is generally recorded as beginning just after Mohammed's Death in 632 A.D. but Mo himself was Conquesting with his Army for about 10 years before he died, in one instance In 627 AD, on the orders of the Islamic Prophet Mohammed almost nine hundred Jews of tribe named Banu Qurayza were massacred by Muslims. The killing began early in the day, ending in torchlight. Those who escaped death were taken captive and sold at slave markets.
This is the Muslim Equivalent of Jesus.
A "prophet"
He had sex with children and left behind the message that all who do not Bow to and Worship Allah then Serve Him are Lesser Beings.
Yet 919 feels the need to post Sad Stories of people who Worship this "prophet" getting banned from traveling
It is the Belief System they've chose to worship that is creating the problems.
919 and others like him in USA absolutely refuse to even attempt to grasp this truth.
1394 Years. Same Exact Thing.
This is what happens when you just do things without thinking through the ramifications of your actions
<cite class="el-editorial-source" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: CNN, 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700;">(CNN)</cite>Two brothers, their wives and children left war-torn Syria with 16 suitcases and crossed the border into Lebanon. They were finally on their way to the United States after working for almost 15 years to join their family members stateside.
But after a flight from Beirut to Doha, Qatar, and then to Philadelphia on Saturday, the two families were told to get on a flight back to Doha. It was because President Donald Trump had just signed an executive order denying citizens from seven countries, including Syria, entry into the United States.
Sarmad Assali and her daughter, Sarah, are among the relatives who were waiting to welcome the families to the United States. Sarmad Assali said they received a call from authorities Saturday morning telling them their relatives would not be allowed to enter the country.
The Assalis, US citizens who live in Allentown, Pennsylvania, weren't able to make contact with their family members until they were already headed back overseas. One of the brothers told Sarmad Assali they were not allowed to make calls or use the Internet while they were held.
According to the Assalis, their family members do not speak English very well and were told by authorities they could either be detained and have their visas taken away, or they could take the first flight back to Doha.
Frightened and facing a language barrier, the six family members chose the second option. Sarmad Assali told CNN she wished she had been able to speak with them, since she would have told them to stay until she could arrive with her attorney.
A long immigration journey
The Assalis are Orthodox Christians, one of the most persecuted groups in Syria.
Their relatives, whom Sarmad and Sarah Assali did not want to identify for their protection, began their immigration process in 2003. In late 2015 they were finally approved to enter the United States on an F-4 visa for brothers and sisters of US citizens.
What immigrants need to know about Trump's order
The relatives finalized their paperwork, immigration interviews and medical examinations during a 10-day trip to Jordan in late December last year.
The Assalis have helped bring family members to the United States before. In 2013, they were able to bring in one relative, and last month they were able to bring the brothers' sister and her daughter.
The brothers waited to join them until after they could pack up their homes in Syria, Sarmad Assali said.
"We bought them a house, we furnished it for them, to help them start a new life," she told CNN.
But that plan is now on hold until the family can figure out a legal route forward. They have been in touch with their congressman, Republican Charlie Dent, as well as attorneys to figure out a plan.
Dent took a very vocal stance Sunday on behalf of the Assali family.
"I certainly agree that we can always improve our visa vetting and refugee vetting program, and I don't have any question about that," said Dent said CNN's "New Day Weekend."
"But I think it's wrong in the case that I was dealing with, with the family already in flight when the order was issued, and having no idea at the time of arrival they would be turned around."
Mayor 'sickened' by situation
Their attorney, Jonathan Grode, has an emergency conference Sunday with other attorneys about the new regulations, Sarmad Assali said. She also noted that a protest is planned Sunday at Philadelphia International Airport in support of their relatives, along with other immigrants who have been turned back.
Trump immigration order: Families feel the impact
"It makes me so sad that this great country is doing this to our Christians and to these people and to my family," Sarmad said.
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney released a statement about the two families' plight.
"I am sickened by reports that federal officials, without knowledge or cooperation of PHL Airport staff, detained and then turned away two Syrian families," Kenney said in the statement.
"By several accounts, these families waited months to obtain the proper documentation so they could come to our country legally. And still, they were sent back to a war-torn nation that has used chemical warfare against its own people. The Trump administration very well may have just given these families a death sentence."
Said Sarah Assali, "We're all feeling a lot of anger, a lot of disappointment in our government. ... It's against our ethics as Americans."
Sob refugee stories. We don't owe refugees a damn thing.
