PORTLAND — A teen separated from her family and stranded in Iraq after President Donald Trump’s immigrant ban is back in America Friday night, thanks in part to help from Maine Congresswoman Chellie Pingree.
Bananh Alalhanfy’s family and friends gathered in Boston Friday as she arrived back in the U.S.
Her father, Labed Alalhanfy, worked as an interpreter with the U.S. military in Iraq and had arrived in Maine last week with his wife and two of his daughters.
His eldest daughter, Bananh is a student at the American University in Iraq and was supposed to join them a few days later.
She holds a valid visa but was unable to board a flight to the U.S. when President Trump issued his immigration orders barring admissions of people from seven nations, including Iraq.
Federal judges in Boston issued a temporary stay on the executive order, but there were still issues in finding an airline that would allow her onboard. Pingree’s office was able to help with that and Bananh is now with her family in Maine.
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