Detroit man blames Trump’s travel ban for mom’s death
A Detroit man says that his mother would be alive today if not for the recent immigration and travel ban issued by President Donald Trump.
A Detroit man says that his mother would be alive today if not for the recent immigration and travel ban issued by President Donald Trump.
Mike Hager and his family fled from Iraq during the Gulf War, though Hager returned during the Iraq War with the United States Marines and Army forces. Now, he owns a business in Detroit, and he is a citizen of the United States — the only thing that allowed him to return to the U.S. from Iraq when the ban was instituted. But while Hager was allowed through, his family — all of whom have green cards — were not.
“They destroyed us. I went with my family, I came back by myself. They destroyed our family,” Hager said.
Hager had been traveling with his niece, two nephews, and his 75-year-old mother, Naimma, when Naimma fell ill. They didn’t think it would be a problem, since they all live in the United States, and they thought they would be able to get her to treatment when they returned.
Instead, they were told they could not enter the U.S..
“I was just shocked. I had to put my mom back on the wheelchair and take her back and call the ambulance and she was very very upset. She knew right there if we send her back to the hospital she’s going to pass away — she’s not going to make it,” Hager said.
Naimma, who has lived in the United States since 1995, died in Iraq.
“I really believe this in my heart: if they would have let us in, my mom — she would have made it and she would have been sitting right here next to me,” Hager said. “She’s gone because of him.”
