Nazanin Zinouri was feeling despair after trying to get home to South Carolina after being detained and questioned in Dubai. She boarded and then was pulled off her plane to Washington. Zinouri has lived in the United States for almost seven years and was visiting family in Tehran this week. Within two days after arriving, she heard there might be an executive order banning her from returning. In disbelief, but taking no chances, Zinouri booked then next plane back States where her pet puppy is, where her car is still parked at the airport, where her home and belonging are, and where her job is… She received no official warning of Donald Trump’s Executive Order and was deported.
On Saturday in the Dubai airport, Zinouri posted this on her Facebook Page:
I normally don't write long posts or any kind of political or religious comments. I apologize in advance and I don't expect my friends to read this long long past!! But today I just couldn't hold it any longer.
Friday 1/20/17 started like any other normal day. I was excited about my trip to Tehran. After all I only get to visit them once a year. I was excited and anxious at the same time. I was worried about my little puppy but I couldn't wait to see my mom…
It was an uneventful trip. I made [it] home on Monday 1/22/17, after around 28 hours, exhausted but so so happy. We were all happy. I was going to eat lots of delicious Persian food and make tons of great memories and go back to my life in the US. But the happiness didn't last that long.
On Wednesday, we started hearing rumors about new executive orders that will change immigration rules for some countries including Iran. Soon we started reading drafts like everyone else. I might be banned from going back?!?! No that can't be true. I'm not gonna let that ruin my trip. But then it got serious so fast. Before I knew it, it was actually happening.
Even though I didn't want to leave my family, I quickly booked a ticket to get on the next flight back. Only a few hours after the order was signed, I got to the airport, got on a plane and made it to Dubai. After waiting in the line to get my documents checked and after 40 minutes of questions and answers, I boarded the plane to Washington, only to have two TSA officers getting in and ask me to disembark the plane!!! Yes after almost 7 years of living the United States, I got deported!!!
No one warned me when I was leaving, no one cared what will happen to my dog or my job or my life there. No one told me what I should do with my car that is still parked at the airport parking. Or what to do with my house and all my belongings.
They didn't say it with words but with their actions, that my life doesn't matter. Everything I worked for all these years doesn't matter.
I just had to say it
Nazanin’s post has garnered over 97,000 likes and over 118,000 shares within 12 hours. She is being supported throughout the world. Here is her Facebook page if you want send a comment.
This is only one story. We are seeing what going on in American airports. What’s going on in airports around the world? In one week, under the so-called election of one man, this is the country we’ve become.
#Resistance