PORT EVERGLADES, Fla. (WSVN) — An Iranian man took to social media when he was detained for hours after disembarking from a cruise at Port Everglades, and he said it’s all because of President Trump’s executive order banning travel for citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries.
Maysam Sodagari said his relaxing cruise to the Bahamas went off course after he returned to South Florida, Sunday morning. “In one night, my status changed from, like, a legal person to kind of illegal,” he said.
Sodagari said he fled Iran because of his sexual orientation and has been living in the United States with a green card for the past nine years. “I was legally able to go on vacation,” he said.
But during his cruise, he heard about Trump’s travel ban, which bars citizens of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering the United States for 90 days. It also suspends the admission of all refugees for 120 days.
“I got very nervous,” said Sodagari. “First I thought, ‘Oh, maybe it won’t happen to me, maybe I’m different.'”
But Sodagari was stopped as he got off the cruise ship. That’s when he went on Facebook Live to tell his story.
“I was thinking that [through] social media I can reach out to my friends, and then they can find resources for me,” he said.
Sodagari documented the tense moments where the outcome of his detainment remained uncertain. “I have been asked to go to a room and wait. He said it may take a while,” he said in the video.
Meanwhile, friends and advocates got to work outside the port, contacting attorneys and the American Civil Liberties Union.
Miami-based attorney Khurrum Wahid said his firm is looking for the well-being of people like Sodagari. “We are part of a large group of lawyers around South Florida who are at the ready anytime that there is word that somebody is being detained under this new executive order, and we’re here to make sure his rights are upheld,” he said.
Jaime Baio of Out Foundation Miami was also on hand to ensure Sodagari’s civil rights were not being violated. “We want to make sure that people who are LGBT, who are seeking asylum because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, are protected, and they’re not sent back to what would for sure be a very, very dangerous situation for them,” he said.
After about three hours, Sodagari was allowed to leave. 7News cameras captured the Iranian citizen hugging his friends, as they tried to hold back tears.
Despite the happy reunion, for Sodagari and his friends, the fear is still present. “It’s very scary because you don’t know what’s going to happen,” said Eric Hammonds, a friend of Sodagari.
As he gets ready to go back to California, Monday morning, Sodagari said he’s thankful for the support he’s received from well-wishers across the country. “I’ve received so many messages, and so much support, and as long as all of these loving people are all around the world, I think we will be in a good place,” he said.
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