Nine passengers were still detained Sunday after arriving at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport on Saturday afternoon, according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
A federal law enforcement official said legal permanent U.S. residents and visa-holders from seven Muslim-majority countries who are out of the country won't be allowed back for 90 days. The official said that's a result of the executive order signed yesterday by President Donald Trump.
The order also suspends all refugee admissions to the U.S. for four months and bans the entry of Syrian refugees indefinitely. [[412060213, C]]
NBC 5's Chris Jose confirmed three people detained at D/FW Airport were eventually released -- two were from Iran, one was from Syria.
A woman originally from Syria, but who was last living in Egypt was reunited with her daughter.
"The ones with the visas are on the floor, they're tired, they're on the floor, and they're treating them really bad," said Miriam Yasin who was reunited with her mother. "She said I hope that you guys can go in there and see the situation, it's horrible."
At midnight, CAIR reported nine refugees were still being held.
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A crowd of more than 50 protesters quickly became hundreds as the night went on and chants of "set them free" grew louder. [[412067553, C]]
Saturday night, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins was at the airport to help speed up the release of detainees. [[412068543, C]]
Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings spoke to the media Saturday afternoon and said plans were being made to help those detained at the airport.
"In regards to sleeping conditions, they're bringing cots, blankets, food, water, any necessary supplies... that they need" he said.
Rawlings said airport staff were aware of two flight with affected passengers, one Emirates flight and one Qatar flight that landed today. Rawlings said he expected the issue of travelers being detained to diminish in coming days.
Rawlings said Dallas has had no public safety concerns when it comes to refugees coming to his city.
"This notion that refugees are potential terrorists is, at best, an exaggeration, because we do not have, really, any evidence that this happens," said Rawlings. "Refugees have to go through extremely rigorous vetting."
"This is not just a political issue, it's a human issue. It's a human issue where families are being kept apart. People who have legal visas to get into the United States to be with their families, or to do business, are being kept from doing that," said Rawlings.
Rawlings called on his faith and the faith of North Texans to speak up to President Trump.
"I believe that on many, many fronts this is ill-thought out, it's bad policy, it's bad for business, it's bad for families, it's bad for cities and it's bad for the heart," Rawlings said. "We as people are defined not by how we treat ourselves, but how we treat the other. Today is a great failing of America in that regard."
Congressman Marc Veasey said he's on his way to D/FW Airport and that he's monitoring the situation that's "causing mass confusion" at international airports nationwide.
"The Trump Administration's refugee ban and their instruction to suspend entry from Muslim-majority countries is wholly un-American and challenges our country’s humanitarian leadership," said Veasey.
Saturday night, State Representative Rafael Anchia said via Twitter he would file a resolution in the Texas Legislature condemning President Trump's executive order.
Editor's Note: This is a developing story. Refresh this page and watch NBC 5 News at 10:00 p.m. for the latest.
