One of two Iraqi refugees being held at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York under President Donald Trump's new order barring refugees from several Muslim countries was released Saturday, though his future status in the United States remains unclear.
The man, Hameed Khalid Darweesh, worked for the U.S. military as an interpreter during the Iraq war. The U.S. government had approved his asylum request and issued him a green card to move to the United States prior to Trump's executive order, but he was detained upon arrival.
Reps. Nydia Velazquez and Jerry Nadler, both New York Democrats, went to JFK on Saturday to help secure Darweesh's release. Velazquez said on Twitter she spoke with the airport's head of customs, who told her he was awaiting orders from the Department of Homeland Security on how to proceed with his case.
A raid by federal immigration authorities on Saturday in New York City was thwarted by about...
