The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights organization, and the Law Office of Maria Kari today welcome the successful evacuation of clients Khalid Mourtaga and Mariam Harara from Gaza to the United States where they have reunited with loved ones after surviving months of genocide.
SEE: Motion for Preliminary Injunction Filed in March 2025
Khalid Mourtaga and Mariam Harara have finally returned to the United States. Though Harara returned home in time to celebrate Mother’s Day with her daughter, Harara also returned home a widow. Harara’s husband was killed in Gaza during the genocide, awaiting the State Department’s evacuation assistance. His attorneys believe his death was preventable had US evacuations been timely.
The evacuation comes after CAIR and the Law Office of Maria Kari filed a lawsuit and wrote a letter to the state department to compel the evacuation of Americans and their families trapped in Gaza. A preliminary injunction hearing for that lawsuit is scheduled for May 30.
“Just as the United States easily evacuated Khalid from Gaza, the Trump administration must do so for other Americans and their families still stranded there,” said Gadeir Abbas, Esq., CAIR Deputy Litigation Director.
In a statement, Attorneys Maria Kari and Yasmeen Elagha, said:
“We are overjoyed to welcome Khalid and Mariam back to the United States after nearly 18 months of them being abandoned in Gaza, left to survive unimaginable conditions without support from their own government. But even in this moment of relief, we are haunted by those we’ve lost and those we’ve left behind. There are still Americans abandoned in Gaza. The U.S. government must evacuate these innocent civilians, as its obligations under the law require. Without the evacuation of the remainder of our clients, a permanent ceasefire, and an end to America’s political, diplomatic, and military cover for Israeli war crimes, true celebration remains impossible.”
SEE: CAIR, Law Office of Maria Kari Lawsuit Against President Biden and Anthony Blinken
BACKGROUNDER:
As early as December 2023, the State Department approved the travel of several American citizens, lawful permanent residents, and their loved ones to the United States from Gaza. However, the State Department had not rendered the necessary evacuation assistance needed to secure their travel to the United States until last week.
Other clients either continue to await evacuation directives from the US embassy or have been given the impossible decision of leaving ineligible family members behind. For example, client Salsalbel Elhelou, is an American citizen, whose minor children do not have American citizenship.
The State Department has refused to evacuate her children, despite having already approved those children for evacuation months ago.
SEE: CAIR Letter Calling on US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Evacuate Americans from Gaza
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com