Local family suing Trump administration over denied entry

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A lawsuit has been filed against the Trump administration on behalf of a Syrian family who was denied entry into the United States at the Philadelphia airport over the weekend.

The families say their relatives were illegally detained at Philadelphia International Airport on Saturday and sent back to their home countries.

The lawsuits were announced Tuesday morning at Philadelphia City Hall.

One has already been filed. Two others were still pending.

The lawsuit already filed Tuesday is being brought on behalf of a Syrian family who was denied entry into the United States at the Philadelphia airport over the weekend.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania says the complaint filed on behalf of the Asali family alleges President Donald Trump's executive order violates several constitutional guarantees.

Trump's order temporarily suspended immigration for citizens of seven majority Muslim countries.

The family - including four adults and two children - landed in Philadelphia on Saturday. They planned to settle in Allentown, where family members who are U.S. citizens had bought a home for them.

They were denied entrance and returned to Syria. The families had obtained their visas after a 13-year effort.

On the same flight Saturday as the Syrian families was Fatemeh Sheikhi of Iran coming to visit her daughters who are graduate students. It's expected a legal claim on her behalf will be made soon.

"We just want to tell that this is extremely unfair and inhuman to stop mother seeing daughters after years and treat her like a criminal," said Shadi Ahmadi.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.