4-Year-Old Somali Girl, Barred From Entering U.S. By Trump's Order, Reunited With Family

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A 4-year-old Somali girl, who was kept from traveling to the U.S. because of the president's travel ban, has been reunited with her family.

Samira Dahir had been working for years to bring her daughter Mushkaad to Minnesota.

On Monday, the day before she was supposed to leave, President Donald Trump's executive order kept her from travelling to the U.S.

She arrived at MSP Thursday afternoon, and Friday her mother thanked all those who helped.

"I'm very happy today that my daughter Mushkaad is now home," said Dahir.

It was a moment that Dahir had dreamed of for four years, but never imagined it would come in front of lawyers and reporters.

"Today I am so happy that's why I am crying," said Dahir.

Three days after Trump's travel ban kept Dahir from a long-awaited reunion with her daughter, the little girl finally found her way to Minnesota.

"My beautiful teacher is here today. I'm so happy. Thank you guys. Thank you so much," said Dahir.

Dahir's citizenship teacher, Martha O'Toole, was the first to realize that getting Mushkaad here may be a problem.

"It was horrible. I just couldn't believe that it would happen. Because she was planning on Mushkaad arriving Tuesday night at 9 o' clock," said O'Toole.

"This system only allows you in if you have extraordinary resources and access," said attorney Ben Casper Sanchez.

Casper Sanchez is with the Center for New Americans. He said it took an army of resources to make this happen. In the end, it was a simple phone call to the right person that reunited a mother and daughter.

"What it took was a direct call. Access to, not someone in the government, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. It's a great day for this family, but it's a really, really dark day for thousands of others," said Casper Sanchez.

Lutheran Social Services, who helped bring Mushkaad here, said there are 33 other refugees they are trying to help get to the U.S. right now.

Dahir especially wanted to thank senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken, and LSS for making this possible.

Mushkaad is now here on refugee status, and her family will help her apply for citizenship.

In the meantime they plan on enrolling her in school and signing her up for English classes.