Imam: Detroit Man Lied, Mom Died Before Trump Travel Ban Was Imposed

Travelers stand in line as they prepare to be screened a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Friday, May 27, 2016, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Memorial D... Travelers stand in line as they prepare to be screened a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Friday, May 27, 2016, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start of summer vacations for many and a busy travel period, serves as a crucial test for the TSA. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz) MORE LESS
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A Detroit man who told a local news station that his mother died in Iraq after President Donald Trump’s travel ban prevented her from reentering the U.S. actually died several days before those restrictions were imposed, his imam told WJBK.

Karbalaa Islamic Educational Center imam Husham Al-Hussainy told the news station that Mike Hager’s mother, Naimma, passed away on Jan. 22, five days before the ban was announced.

Hager previously told the local outlet that his mother and three other family members were prevented from boarding a flight to the U.S. on Friday even though they had green cards. Hager said that he was allowed through because of his American citizenship, and that his ailing mother passed away the next day.

Al-Hussainy confirmed to WJBK that Hager’s mother was living in Michigan and receiving treatment for kidney disease prior to the family’s trip to Iraq to visit family. But he said Hager misled the news station about the timing of her death.

WJBK was unable to reach Hager to ask about the discrepancies in his account.

The President on Friday passed an executive order barring all travelers from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Yemen and Somalia from the U.S. for a period of 90 days, and banning all refugees for 120 days.

The ban went into immediate effect, causing chaos at U.S. airports and preventing some green card holders from reentering the country until the Department of Homeland Security clarified that the order should not affect legal permanent residents.

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Notable Replies

  1. Watch Fox and Breitbart make this the lead for 36 hrs…

    Cue the outrage…

  2. Yep, this will be yugely bastardized into why the Mooslim non-ban is so desperately needed.

  3. It’ll be this week’s version of the missing MLK bust story.

  4. Not too surprised by this, actually, as it seemed very odd that someone could be so very ill and getting ready to board a transatlantic flight.

    Unfortunately, this will certainly have negative repercussions on a variety of levels…

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