DFW Airport detainees released & reunited with families

Jake Young

Dallas, TX (CNN/KDAF) -- From early morning protests to afternoon hugs and smiles as families found out their loved detained loved ones would be released from custody at DFW Airport.

Why were they there in the first place? Well, when President Trump signed his executive order Friday halting travel from seven Muslim-majority countries, dozens of travelers already in the air fell victim.

"People got on planes with all their paperwork in order, and the rug got pulled out from under them before those planes could land," Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins told NewsFix.

So, most of the day, hundreds stormed into DFW Airport chanting and protesting

"There are about 50 lawyers a floor below us working on paperwork to file with federal judges to try and get this resolved and get these detainees to their families," said Judge Jenkins.

While the moratorium on travel is legal, lawyers say these people have the right to be here through citizenship, green cards or travel visas. And they say that right has been illegally taken the past two days.

A number of the detainees have been reunited with their families and met with Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings since then.

But the stain of the past 48 hours will be hard to reconcile with many on edge in Big D and across the country.

KDAF

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