Ottawa, June 8, 2025 — A Yemeni refugee living in Ottawa faces the heartbreaking prospect of indefinite separation from his 19-year-old son as U.S. President Donald Trump’s new travel ban comes into effect.
Mohammad Alshuwaiter, a human rights researcher, has lived in Canada since 2018 after fleeing civil unrest in Yemen. However, his son Noor, born in the U.S., now resides with his grandparents in Dearborn, Michigan after Canadian immigration officials ruled in 2019 that Noor, being an American citizen, could not be included in his parents’ asylum claim.
Trump’s new executive order bans citizens from 12 countries — including Yemen — from entering the United States. Immigration experts warn it could affect thousands of non-citizen residents in Canada, including Alshuwaiter, who is still awaiting permanent residence status seven years after applying.
“I last saw my son in March. Now, I don’t know when I’ll hold him again,” said Alshuwaiter in an emotional interview.
The family’s struggles began when their U.S. asylum application was rejected in 2018. They turned to Canada for protection, only to find themselves mired in bureaucratic delays. Noor, who was just 13 at the time, was labeled a “failed refugee” and barred from receiving PR with his family.
Without Canadian status, Noor was unable to work, open a bank account, or apply for college in Canada without paying international student fees. Feeling isolated, he moved to Michigan in 2023 to live with his grandparents and pursue a college education.
In May 2025, Noor was denied re-entry into Canada and flagged for deportation, just 30 minutes from reuniting with his family in Windsor. His father has since filed a lawsuit against Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), demanding transparency over the unexplained delay in his application.
“I sacrificed my career for my kids’ future. Now, I can’t even see my son,” Alshuwaiter said.
Even if his PR application is eventually approved, it won’t allow him to visit his son under the U.S. travel ban. For that, he would need Canadian citizenship — a process that would take even more time.
Now caught between two immigration systems, the Alshuwaiter family remains in limbo — forced apart by geopolitical policies they hoped would offer them a future together.