2-year-old boy, whose mom was granted a visa to the US after lawsuit, dies
OAKLAND, California -- The 2-year-old son of a Yemeni woman who sued the Trump administration to let her into the country to be with the ailing boy has died, the Council on American-Islamic Relations announced.
Abdullah Hassan died Friday in UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in Oakland, where his father Ali Hassan brought him in the fall to get treatment for a genetic brain disorder.
"We are heartbroken. We had to say goodbye to our baby, the light of our lives," Hassan said. "We want to thank everyone for your love and support at this difficult time. We ask you to kindly keep Abdullah and our family in your thoughts and prayers."
His mother Shaima Swileh was reunited with her dying son last Thursday after not being able to enter the country because of President Trump's travel ban.
Ali Hassan is a U.S. citizen who lives in Stockton, California. He and his wife Shaima Swileh moved to Egypt after marrying in war-torn Yemen in 2016. Swileh is not an American citizen and remained in Egypt while fighting for a visa.
A lawsuit was filed, and Swileh was granted a waiver.
Hassan's funeral service is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon in Lodi.
In a statement, CAIR-SV Civil Rights Attorney Saad Sweilem, who represents the family, said, "Ali and Shaima are in our thoughts and prayers as they mourn the loss of dear Abdullah. With their courage, this family has inspired our nation to confront the realities of Donald Trump's Muslim Ban. In his short life, Abdullah has been a guiding light for all of us in the fight against xenophobia and family separation."
The Associated Press contribued to this story.
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