A North Texas couple separated by President Donald Trump’s executive order restricting travel from seven countries was reunited Sunday evening.
Neil and Roslyn Sinha were married in August, and she is in the process of obtaining her green card. But while it was processing, Roslyn’s mother had a series of strokes back in Dubai, and she was granted permission to go back to visit in late January.
While she was overseas, Trump’s executive order was signed, and Roslyn was stuck in limbo. Airlines would not let her board a plane back home.
Roslyn was born and raised in Dubai, but because of the unique way the United Arab Emirates issues passports, Roslyn’s is from Iraq–-a country she has never been to--but one that is on the travel ban list.
"The possibility of her never coming back or having to wait 90 days, that was scary," Neil said.
But the couple kept pushing for ways to bring her back home, crediting our NBC5 story last week and the work of volunteer immigration attorneys to help pave the way.
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After 12 days of uncertainty, Sunday brought an emotional reunion for the young couple.
Roslyn landed back at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport on a flight connecting in Washington, D.C., where she met her volunteer immigration attorney Elinor Plenovo.
"It was very smooth at the airport, way smoother than I thought," Roslyn said.
As soon as she heard that the rules had changed on the executive order, the attorney got to work, and Roslyn ran to pack her bags and jumped on the first Emirates flight back to the United States.
"I got lucky," she said. "I’m one of the lucky ones."
Roslyn currently has a work permit, she's starting a new job next week, and is in the process of getting her green card. She said she owes her mom, who is improving, a less chaotic visit back home.
