How I Reunited With My Wife and Son During the Chaos of Trump’s Travel Ban

home insemination Kit

By: Anxious in Austin

Updated: Sep. 22, 2020
Originally Published: Feb. 10, 2017

Anxious in Austin

Wednesday, January 25, 4:50 p.m. Dallas time | Thursday, January 26, 2:20 a.m. Iran time

I’m sitting at my desk on the second floor of my office in Austin, Texas, when the alarming news breaks. Grabbing my cell phone, I quickly hit speed dial. The call jolts my wife awake in Tehran, where it’s the middle of the night but bright daylight shines through my window. I struggle to keep my tone steady. “Honey, you need to leave immediately! Can you pack in an hour and catch the 9 a.m. flight?”

Her drowsy, unclear response is both calming and concerning. She hesitates—our son is still asleep, the airport is over an hour away, and nothing is ready. She was supposed to return a week later. “Let me wake my parents and see what they think.”

I’ve just learned that the newly elected U.S. president signed executive orders targeting immigration, including one that explicitly states some U.S. permanent residents might be barred from re-entering the country. This terrifies me; my wife is one of those permanent residents, and she’s in Iran with our child.

A Little Background

I first met my wife, Mary, at an Argentine tango dance event I organized. Little did I know that the dance floor would lead to a lifelong partnership. We fell in love while dancing and eventually married. Now, we live in Austin, Texas, with our one-year-old son, Liam.

Mary recently completed her PhD in electrical engineering, and we had planned for her to visit her family in Tehran before starting her job. She left Dallas in early January, with the idea that I would join her two weeks later for a week-long visit, and we’d all return home together. Her family had even arranged a grand welcome party, complete with a massive cake! We were all excited, planning to ski in the mountains near Tehran and enjoy a weekend in Dubai on our way back, where my buddy, Sam, a pilot, was eager to see us.

Tuesday, January 23 – Austin

10 p.m. I come across a Reuters article revealing that the new president will issue an executive order restricting access to the U.S. for refugees and specific visa holders from seven countries. This news hits hard; my wife’s parents won’t be able to visit us anymore! I call Mary, and we decide that since she is a permanent resident and Liam and I are citizens, our travel plans should remain unaffected.

Wednesday, January 24 – Austin

9 a.m. I check in for my Emirates flight to Iran, feeling excited as I upgrade to business class. I’m busy at work, preparing for my upcoming trip.

2 p.m. I find a draft of the executive order. My heart sinks as I read, “I hereby suspend entry into the United States, as immigrants and nonimmigrants, of such persons….” My stomach twists. How can they deny entry to someone who belongs here? I realize I must act fast; I call Emirates to get my family booked on the next available flight home.

3 p.m. The weight of the situation presses down on me. I can’t believe this is happening. What if the order goes into effect before they return? I frantically search for immediate flights from Tehran. I discover a British Airways flight leaving at 9 a.m. local time, connecting to an American Airlines flight to Dallas.

The problem? Mary doesn’t have a transit visa for the UK. I scour the UK government website and find that if she has a valid U.S. permanent residency card, she can transit without a visa. I need to reach her.

It’s 2:20 a.m. in Tehran when I finally get through to Mary. I urge her to leave immediately.

5 p.m. I purchase the tickets but face a glitch in the system: it’s stuck on “waiting to be ticketed.” Plus, I need to secure a ticket for Liam, who is categorized as an infant. After a few frantic calls, I manage to get their tickets just in time.

8 p.m. Mary arrives at the airport with Liam, but she must change terminals at Heathrow, which is notoriously chaotic. I warn her to keep the stroller with her to avoid delays.

10 p.m. I cancel my own flight. All I can do now is wait.

11:30 p.m. Relief washes over me as I hear that Mary and Liam have boarded their flight from Tehran.

Thursday, January 26 – Austin

6 a.m. I receive a text from Mary: “We made it, love.” They’re on their way to Dallas, and I can finally breathe a little easier.

But as I think about their landing, I worry about the potential for the executive order to be signed before they arrive. I call my brother in Toronto, who promises to be ready to help if needed.

10 a.m. I imagine the worst-case scenarios—what if they end up in a detention center?—and the stress feels overwhelming.

After a whirlwind of emotions and unforeseen challenges, I finally anticipate my family’s return, grateful that we managed to navigate the uncertainty together.

Conclusion

In summary, the experience of getting my wife and son back from Iran during the turmoil of Trump’s travel ban was fraught with panic and uncertainty. It involved quick thinking, timely communication, and a bit of luck as we navigated the complexities of immigration law and travel logistics.

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