KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Somali mother and her eight children arrived in Kansas City on Wednesday night. It was a joyous occasion for the family that almost didn`t happen because of President Donald Trump’s temporary travel ban affecting immigrants from seven nations.
Della Lamb had been working to bring them to Kansas City when President Trump issued the executive order affecting refugees from Somalia and other nations. That ban is temporarily revoked while a federal appeals court will decide what’s next.
The Somali family of nine was part of an estimated 60,000 immigrants who had their visas revoked. They were able to schedule the flight when a federal court lifted the ban.
Somali family arrives in KC #fox4kc pic.twitter.com/AdRwNtx2dr
— Dave D’Marko (@DaveDMarko) 9 de febrero de 2017
Somali boy one of 8 children gets coat for Kansas City winter
A Judicial panel is now debating whether it should be put back into effect, but many Somali business owners in the Independence Avenue corridor say that would be a mistake.
“When they come here they have very high likelihood of doing something meaningful with their life, so when we heard that it has stricken fear and disappointment through the whole community, it made so many people ask themselves are we welcome here anymore?” said Hakim Abdi.
Della Lamb has been busy preparing a Kansas City home for the family to re-settle. The State Department has told resettlement agencies it’s booking travel for refugees through Feb. 17.
