Actions

Colorado man: President Trump's order on refugees keeps me from seeing my family

Syrian-American's relatives are refugees
Posted
and last updated

DENVER -- A sign on the door of Obeid Kaifo's family-run restaurant reads "refugees are welcome here." He didn't think much of it when the sign went up months ago, but in light of President Donald Trump's actions, the sign takes on a whole new meaning.

President Trump called for an extreme vetting of refugees and a total ban on refugees from Syria by signing several executive orders on Friday. Kaifo said those orders effectively keeps him from seeing his family.

"I’ve tried to figure out a way to get them out of there," said Kaifo.

Kaifo is a proud Syrian-American. His parents immigrated to the United States in 1988 and he was born in Los Angeles. He's been trying to help his family flee in hopes of a better life since 2012. 

"You can't call it extreme vetting if it's already extreme vetting. I mean, we have almost five agencies vetting refugees coming into the country. It takes close to 15 to 18 months if not two years," Kaifo told Denver7.

 

---------

Sign up for Denver7 email alerts to stay informed about breaking news and daily headlines.

Or, keep up-to-date by following Denver7 on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.