NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) – This family has struggled to stay in western Massachusetts for two years, and now it’s becoming a much harder fight.
Since President Donald Trump imposed a temporary travel ban on citizens from 7 mostly-Muslim countries, the law offices of Curran & Berger in Northampton have had to change their approach for nearly all of their immigration cases.
Immigration Law Attorney Megan Kludt told 22News, “We have people whose applications have been put on hold. We have people who have sick relatives at home they now can’t visit.”
Attornet Kludt had to tell Gaylan Algaylini that his family’s asylum applications may not be approved at all. The non-practicing Muslim family applied for asylum three years ago, fearing they’d be targeted after his wife Hala assisted the U.S. government in Iraq.
Algaylini supports his wife and three children by working for Uber and Domino’s, but he now may not be able to renew his work card on time. He said, “I am Muslim, but I’m not a fanatic Muslim. Not all of the people from the 7 countries are bad people.”
What’s stopping them from going to Canada? Their newborn Sara was born with severe health complications and is under intensive medical care. Algaylini said, “If something happens to her, what should we do? Nothing serious now, but in the future, what’s going on? We don’t know.”
Algaylini said he’ll do anything for his kids; “Who will feed the baby? I don’t know what we do. We will stay if we can stay, so I can go plan for our future, I can go study. But what do we do? What do we do?”
The immigration law firm has also received calls from people concerned the current ban could expand to other Middle Eastern countries.
