WASHINGTON: A five-year-old boy was held in custody at Washington Dulles International Airport for five hours because he may have been ‘a threat to America’.
The child was one of more than 100 people held at airports across the United States after Donald Trump signed an order banning travel from seven majority Muslim countries.
The schoolboy was allegedly separated from his mother after he was deemed as a possible threat.
He was later identified to be a US citizen who lives in Maryland.
The little boy was seen on CNN being showered by kisses from his mum as they were reunited.
According to the Mirror, Senator Chris Van Hollen, who revealed that the child was from America, described the incident as ‘outrageous’.
He allegedly added that the boy was detained despite authorities having advance notice of his arrival.
Van Hollen added that he later tried to see if the child had been released – but was refused information by airport authorities.
On Friday, Trump signed an executive order banning refugees from entering the country, during a Pentagon swearing-in ceremony for Secretary of Defence, James Mattis.
No new visas will be issued from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen for at least 30 days. An indefinite ban will be implemented on Syrian refugees.
