A Cleveland Clinic resident forced to return to Saudi Arabia from New York when the Trump administration's travel ban took effect has returned to Ohio. Afi Scruggs of member station WCPN in Cleveland reports.
Doctor Suha Abushamma returned on Monday, after a federal court temporarily lifted the travel ban. At a Tuesday press conference, she said she was happy to be reunited with her friends, fiancee and "all the people I consider as part of my family.
“I’m excited to be here at the Cleveland Clinic where I can focus on my medical career and most importantly, caring for my patients. While this has been a challenge for me in many ways, today I’m feeling much gratitude and I’m looking forward to getting back to work and making my patients first." Abushamma said.
Abushamma comes from a family of physicians. Both her parents are internists, and three siblings are attending medical school in Sudan, She had a valid permit to work at Cleveland Clinic, but left the country to visit her family.
She was denied re-entry because her passport is from Sudan, one of seven countries named in the executive order. She was also forced to surrender her visa beffore being sent to her home country of Saudi Arabia. Her plane took off as a federal judge was hearing a case to halt her deportation, her lawyers said.
When a federal judged halted the executive order, Abushamma was able to get another work visa. Her lawyers said they will ask a court to dismiss a lawsuit intended to allow her to return.
