President Donald Trump says he instructed Mike Pompeo not to allow Hoda Muthana, a woman who joined Daesh and later regretted it, from returning to the United States. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said Muthana is not a citizen.
US President Donald Trump is taking credit for the Department of State’s announcement Wednesday that an Alabama woman who joined Daesh in Syria will not be allowed to re-enter the US, after announcing that she regretted joining the group.
But Hassan Shibly, a lawyer for the woman, insisted Muthana was born in the United States and had a valid passport before she joined the Islamic State in 2014. He says she has renounced the terrorist group and wants to come home to protect her 18-month-old son regardless of the legal consequences.
"She's an American. Americans break the law," said Shibly, a lawyer with the Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. "When people break the law, we have a legal system to handle those kinds of situations to hold people accountable, and that's all she's asking for."
"I have instructed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and he fully agrees, not to allow Hoda Muthana back into the Country!" Trump tweeted.
Her lawyer is challenging that claim. In a brief statement, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo gave no details as to how the administration made their determination.
"Ms Hoda Muthana is not a US citizen and will not be admitted into the United States," he said. "She does not have any legal basis, no valid US passport, no right to a passport nor any visa to travel to the United States."
Muthana is now in a refugee camp in Syria with her toddler and says she made a mistake in joining the group. The United States said Wednesday she is not a citizen.
