Hameed Darweesh, Iraqi Translator And U.S. Ally Briefly Blocked By Travel Ban, Will Attend Trump Address

NEW YORK, NY – A former interpreter for the U.S. Army who was detained at Kennedy International Airport under a White House travel ban will be in the audience when President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress for the first time on Tuesday.

Hameed Darweesh, a recent immigrant who worked with U.S. forces in Iraq, was detained for more than 18 hours at JFK Airport under Trump's executive order that banned travelers from seven majority-Muslim countries. Rep. Nydia Velázquez, a Democrat from New York, said on Monday that she had invited Darweesh to be her guest during Trump's Tuesday evening address.

"Hameed Darweesh risked his life in dangerous circumstances in Iraq, working alongside the U.S. government," Velázquez said in a statement. "Now that he's relocated to our nation, his presence Tuesday will send a powerful message about America's greatness and its diversity."

Trump's travel ban caused chaos at airports around the country as officials struggled to determine whom the executive order impacted. The order has since been suspended since a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order. White House officials have said they will rescind the ban and create a new order.

Velázquez, who represents neighborhoods including the Lower East Side, Williamsburg, Bushwick, Brooklyn Heights and Sunset Park, along with Rep. Jerrold Nadler called for Darweesh to be released.

After he was detained, Darweesh penned a moving op-ed for the Washington Post describing his 10 years of work as a translator with the U.S. Army before seeking refuge in the United States with his family. After waiting for more than three years for a visa, Darweesh and his family flew to the U.S. in January. Trump's executive order took effect while they were in the air.

Darweesh described his confusion at being detained and handcuffed by officers: "It was the first time in my life I had been put in handcuffs. I tried to explain again that I served with the U.S. Army in Iraq, and had come to the United States because the government created a resettlement program to support people like me who worked with the Army. They didn’t respond."

Darweesh is among several people impacted by the travel ban who will attend Trump's address on Tuesday, according to the ACLU. Trump is scheduled to address the joint session at 9 p.m.

This post has been updated with additional information.

Lead image via Nydia Velázquez.