Doctor unable to get back to USA

photo of Dr Khaled Almilaji in a public health class at Brown University last fall (Nicholas Dentamaro/Brown University) 

A very upsetting and alarming story found in my facebook newsfeed this morning. This is an example of how the carte blanche order of Mr Trump to banned all Syrians from entering the country is ruining lives.  Lives of good citizens that are an asset to any community that accepts them. This citizen was accepted for the US and studying but in the winter break went out to Turkey to help the refugees there.  So what is going on with the "extreme vetting" procedure when good folk are getting caught in the net.

You can read more and watch a video on the story in the vox.com link 
http://www.vox.com/world/2017/2/23/14703974/muslim-ban-syrian-couple-video  

Khaled Almilaji seems like the kind of immigrant you’d love to welcome into the United States. A doctor who played a pivotal role in containing the spread of polio in his native country, he came to the United States to get a master’s degree in public health at Brown University last fall. During winter break, he went to Turkey to work with local aid organizations.
So the above short video, which tells the story of Khaled and his wife, Jihan, sounds like it should be a happy tale of an immigrant success story. But instead, it’s heartbreaking.
You see, Khaled is Syrian. Between his departure and his scheduled return for the next semester, President Donald Trump banned Syrians from traveling to the United States. Shortly thereafter, Khaled lost his visa and was prohibited from returning to continue his studies. Jihan, meanwhile, lives alone in New York.

And here is more from the Middle East Eye: 

http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/doctor-stopped-polio-outbreak-syria-now-hes-banned-us-511735409

When the highly contagious, crippling and potentially fatal polio virus reappeared in war-torn Syria in 2013, nearly two decades after it had been eradicated in the country, Khaled Almilaji was a key player in containing the outbreak that threatened millions inside and beyond its borders.

This week, the 35-year-old doctor from Aleppo should be studying for a Masters in Public Health at Brown University where he received a scholarship and started last autumn.
Instead, in a situation similar to over 200 million others, he is stuck in Turkey following US President Donald Trump’s executive order last Friday to ban citizens from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.