Donald Trump's travel ban was preventing this baby from having heart surgery in America

Fatemeh Reshad, a four month old Iranian girl has been given a waiver to President Donald Trump's 'travel ban', meaning she can receive lifesaving heart surgery in the United States.

According to Associated Press, Reshad’s family were told by doctors in Iran that she had a twisted artery which required urgent attention. They had an appointment in Dubai (there is no US embassy in Iran) on 5 February in order to secure a tourist visa, but the president’s executive order made that option impossible.

According to the attorney representing the Iranian family Amber Murray, that she had recommended they travel to the US for the procedure, due to the significantly higher chance of a successful operation. She filed an application for a visa waiver on Thursday evening.

The application requires an appointment, a doctor’s letter and proof of funds.

Reprieve came on late Friday night, when governor of New York Andrew Cuomo announced the infant would be allowed to enter the US for the emergency procedure, in contravention of President Trump’s executive order banning immigration from Iran and six other countries.

In a statement Cuomo said:

Bizarrely, the federal ban would prevent this child from receiving medical care and literally endanger her life. It is repugnant to all we believe as Americans and as members of the human family.

This evening we were pleased to learn that the federal government has now granted Fatemeh Reshad and her family boarding documents to come to the United States.

The family’s waiver application was aided by Cuomo, Oregon Representative Suzanna Bonamici, and Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden.

In his statement, Cuomo stated that Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, had offered to provide the procedure free of charge, and the family’s travel would be paid for by Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, LLP.

The family however opted to have the procedure done in Oregon, where Fatemah’s uncle Sam Taghizadeh resides.

Since 1987 Oregon has been America’s only official “sanctuary state” by law. On Thursday evening, Oregon’s governor Kate Brown had signed her own executive order, instructing all of the state’s agencies to follow the 1987 law.

Since the waiver was granted, Judge James Robart of Washington has blocked the enforcement of President’s Trump executive order.

According to CNN, US Customs & Border Protection have instructed airline security to return to “business as usual”.

HT CNN, the Guardian, Fox.

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