it's. against the arts. al-jazeera selects palestinians. and. everything to do is being an alarmist it's being weighed and it's being measured it was going to sunset and it's not just i phones that's almost my face i mean the small things of these days at the moment we are in a state of the universe that started in something that was for a week that it's going to rather take the risks of democracy than the risks of dictatorship digital dissidents at this time on al-jazeera.

i don't have a problem and the top stories on al-jazeera the leaders of north korea have signed an unprecedented declaration to work together to denuclearize and permanent peace on the potential they've agreed to push for four way talks involving the two koreas the u.s. and china the ultimate goal is to transition on the sixty five year old missed us to a peace treaty. you know i feel that we are part of one family and both countries will have a new policy of cooperation after years of disputes we are here today to say but nothing will make us different again and i will say this for north koreans and the south koreans are now sharing one spot on the map and they represent one country in one way or another and we hope to achieve the ambitions and hopes of both countries . to charge him under charge it's very significant that north korea took

a measure of freezing its nuclear activities first it will be a valuable beginning for the complete denuclearization of the korean peninsula came jong un and i declare that there will be no more war on the korean peninsula and a new age of peace has begun the u.s. president has reacted on twitter for the latest developments on the korean peninsula donald trump said after a few areas of missile launches a nuclear test and a historic meeting between north and south korea is now taking place good things are happening but only time will tell more now from our diplomatic editor james bays from podger on the south side of the border. technically they are still at war but this was carefully choreographed to create a new atmosphere of pete's north korean leader kim jong il entered from the north side of the demarcation line the south korean president blue jay in waited at the

concrete block that marks the start of his country's territory. a historic handshake. and then something in all the years since the korean war that kim's father and grandfather never did the north korean leader crossing into south korea. it was followed by a reciprocal gesture in very briefly crossing the line into the north. thank. you and was smiling but of course they hope this summit is only the start of a process and that's likely to be complicated and will involve difficult negotiations. going on much the dangerous meeting i hope that there is new history written with regards to people prosperity and i will approach this with the feeling

of a brand new start i'd like to discuss standing honestly and frankly i would like to take this opportunity to say that i hope to have a very good conversation the president today honest frank and we intend. when the supreme leader across the demarcation line on this historic moment there is a mensa expectation almost all over the world and i hope this discussion is productive let's approach this discussion boldly in wishing for peace and i like to give something very big to the people looking at those we have all day to talk and let's do so and make up for the ten years that we have the past. james bay is reporting. that she is joining us live from. for the north korean leader. had to go back to the north let's look at some of those huge developments that we've seen today these are live pictures from the

demilitarized zone and as as i mentioned we are waiting for leader kim jong un to leave off to this day of talks this joint declaration agreeing to. arise the korean peninsula so they've agreed to that but do we know if they agree on what it means and when can we expect it to happen. that is what remains unclear out of this declaration elizabeth there was a lot of detail and it was it was historic this declaration that was signed when it comes to talking about meeting between north korea south korea the u.s. and china for example moving towards a more permanent peace regime and moving on from the armistice that was signed in one thousand nine hundred fifty three that was significant there was an agreement that plans to visit pyongyang in the autumn so that will be significant if that

goes ahead but in terms of your question about denuclearization that was where some of the detail was missing some of what was mentioned in this declaration was that the two sides shared the view that measures being initiated by north korea are very meaningful and crucial for the denuclearization of the korean peninsula they weren't specific about what measures they may mean but we do know of course that north korea just in recent days announced that it would stop its nuclear and missile tests and shut down a nuclear test facility that's a move that was broadly welcomed by south korea by the united states other countries around the world including japan though there was a caution from japan's prime minister that he wants to make sure that there is something meaningful that follows that announcement to stop the testing but because of course that is something that could be restarted quite quickly and many people are warning that it may not be enough for north korea to stop testing so when it

comes to concrete denuclearization that didn't really seem to come out of the declaration today and what about cathy what south korea will do these are all steps that the north koreans will have to take but do we know any more about what south korea is willing to do in return and will they stop those joint military exercises for instance with the united states that anger north korea sort of march or agree to keep that fad missile that u.s. missile defense system and south korea that this not only north korea. china. there was a general agreement around disarmament from progressing towards disarmament but again what that might mean is an open question there was no specifics about joint military drills with the united states no specifics about the fad missile defense system this day although there were some concrete agreements here as i say when it

comes to talking about moving towards peace regime this year it was light on that sort of detail and that was for a large part what we might have expected out of today because what seemed to want to do was really set the scene here for the meeting that was expected between kim jong un and donald trump that's not confirmed we don't have a time or a date for that we've heard donald trump say that he expects and hopes to meet the leader kim jong un in late may or early june and we heard as you mentioned earlier from him via a tweet saying that korea war korean war to end the united states and all of its great people should be very proud of what is now taking place in korea but the cabinet in an earlier tweet was good things are happening but only time will tell donald trump leaving open the possibility as he has done over the past days and weeks that he could walk away from any meeting or he that the meeting may not happen at all so those kong talks about his asian about joint military drills etc

maybe the sorts of things to come up with donald trump all of course waiting for more information for more details but as we do catherine how is this viewed in south korea because even without those details when we keep using that word because it is true it is a historic day we've seen the both leaders of north and south korea for the first time since the end of the korean war cross the border even if even if it was just momentarily and to the country. it's being very closely watched by a lot of people here in south korea there were very high viewership numbers when it comes to that time that you referred to. what king across the border stepping into south korea and i think broadly the feeling here in south korea is that any movement towards peace is certainly better than the place we were in last year when

we had regular nuclear tests coming out of north korea the threat of war between the united states and north korea and of course the fear that has lingered for decades here that if the united states were to attack north korea that north korea's first response would be to attack seoul the capital here with conventional artillery it wouldn't even really need the nuclear weapons that it keeps testing so as we see this shift now this hit to a more peaceful atmosphere i think broadly the south korean population welcomes it but it must be said as well there were protests here in south korea today there remain people who did not want to see this picture of and meeting with each other people who are skeptical that kim jong un cannot be trusted that these kinds of summits the rare have happened before and then after a declaration was signed north korea pressed ahead with its nuclear and missile tests. but for now kathy the progress that we have seen so far how much of it

is viewed at least in south korea or elsewhere as being down to the new president and his very different approach to this crisis to that of his predecessors a more diplomatic patient approach. i think there are a lot of factors that led up to this but certainly does deserve credit for the change that we are seeing here on the korean peninsula it is definitely a shift away from the administrations we saw before him they were more conservative governments who did not want to engage with north korea but minging and himself the son of north korean refugees came into office talking about more dialogue and more engagement with the olympics the winter olympics that we saw just a couple of months ago here in south korea he always wanted those to be the peace

olympics and they did turn out to really be a turning point where we saw north and south korea marching together under a unified flag in the opening ceremony where we saw them fielding a joint team and it was kim jong un really that made a change as well in the new year speech that he gave offering to send north korean athletes in a delegation to south korea so this is something that moon julian has long been pushing for it's certainly a big day for him in many analysts will say that he really has been in the driver's seat when it comes to this change here in the politics around it because often south korea sometimes got a little bit left out even though of course it is a big concern here in south korea what happens in the north often it was a just question happening that involved the united states and china and north korea and perhaps not so much south korea but has really stepped up into the driver's seat to have this into

a korean summit to have these historic pictures meeting with with kim jong un rather and he would hope. that the scene for a meeting with donald trump kathy stay with us we're going to go to live pictures now from there we go from the demilitarized these the live pictures of the south korean president and behind him. it's his wife and of course next to him is the north korean leader kim jong un and has wife and they are now leaving the demilitarized zone together after this day there also talks of this joint declaration where as we've been reporting they have agreed to denuclearize the korean potential are amongst a number of other pledges. so they're leaving them saying it too we can hear a big round of applause and we could also hear music coming from where they are

walking down a bad cop that the two leaders of north and south korea together walking down that red carpet to a great round of applause. so this marks the end of the summit of the two korean leaders. we've had a day of meetings between them shortly we're expecting the north korean leader kim jong un to return to pyongyang but after this say well ceremony in the deep.

i think we're waiting for some kind of a video presentation that's going to be shown towards the end. there.

please. so we are watching a presentation in the demilitarized zone where the korean the north and south korean natives kim jong un and moon and have been missing us a sound and light show over the minister and in session they're entertaining than

does all the two koreas and their guests before him john phone makes his way back to north korea and yet we have two correspondents with south korea cost on the path you know back and live for us and then. is also watching in washington d.c. so let's go now to catherine who is in poggio and we've had a day kathy. of symbolic gestures and now this day where we've seen this joint declaration to denuclearize the korean provincial amongst all the very lofty steps a sound and light show with musicians to wrap up the stay in the dominican and. yes it's a continuation of this symbolism that we have seen throughout the day this presentation is called a new spring enjoyed together the theme of the video that is being projected on the

nice house where these two leaders have been meeting inside the demilitarized zone at the truce village of punishment a lot of symbolism throughout the day we saw kim jong un and joining together to plant a tree that was from ninety. in fifty three of the year the armistice was signed using soil from either side of the border and we heard both leaders giving hosts at a banquet that was hosted to mark the end of this summit the banquet included cold noodles that are famous in north korea brought in from to prepare those swiss ross . kim jong un's time as a boy at boarding school in switzerland his toast. to symbolism and on the meaning of this day saying that as he looked around the room you could barely tell who was from north and south korea references to the fact that they are one people and should not be divided anymore so as i say

a lot of symbolism around many people want to find the meaning in what was said and done today but the questions going forward will be around denuclearization that you referred to what will that really concrete steps. that's going to accompany health correspondent who is joining us live from washington d.c. all of this being in the u.s. capitol and we have had we have had some reaction from the u.s. president. i think as this day is. in the demilitarized zone here in north america south america the day is just beginning so all of this history americans particularly certainly have watched and. view donald trump as he reacts to all of this are certainly taking

this in almost in real time the same as the u.s. president i think happy really hit on a critical note there when she talked about the symbolism that is taking place certainly there are strong emotions optimism and hope. here in the united states and all around the world but the key is. to be nuclearized the fact that we heard from the u.s. president recently is just the last couple of days the fact that in the eyes of the united states there is hope but they need to see concrete measures and while there is this commitment to denuclearize they said no specific measures have been announced and that will be for the united states moving forward as president trump of course prepares for his own talks with the north korean leader perhaps at the end of this month or rather sorry perhaps the end of next month or early june. the show is just getting sort of. more spectacular after

a whole day of very symbolic gestures. i mean i don't think we have seen anything like this on the korean peninsula but have we ever had a pledge to denuclearize before we've had promises from the north koreans that they will stop their nuclear testing in the past and policy is that they will freeze their nuclear program but the woods in the joint declaration have they been made to before. it was historic that these two leaders made this declaration together and had remarks after it. made reference to that in his remarks saying that never before had a north korean leader comment and spoke had never have spoken after this kind of declaration had been signed remember this was all being carried live there were previous into korean summits in two thousand and two thousand and seven but this is

the first time first of all that the north korean leader has come to south korea but also that many aspects of it were broadcast live here in south korea we did mention that when they are shown to the north korean audience they will be edited but nevertheless those were historic moments on denuclearize ations specifically north korean leaders including him john and have referred to this word have said that it is the ultimate goal that it was the legacy of the founder kim jong un's grandfather will song to promote denuclearization of the korean peninsula and we heard from envoys that went to pyongyang they said that kim jong un told them that he was committed to denuclearization but the big question remains what does that word mean and has said that he does not believe that the words mean something different in north korea that it does here in south korea or indeed in the united states but historically made in the analysts have said north korea takes

denuclearization to mean the complete denuclearization of the korean peninsula that includes nuclear submarines from the united states assets that the united states has of course there almost thirty thousand u.s. troops stationed here in south korea historically north korea has wanted to see them with a draw none of that was discussed today and the question will be going forward meeting goes ahead between donald trump and. will that come up. and kathy we are looking at really extraordinary live pictures now from the demilitarized zone where we have the two lead is holding hands as we've seen them do so previously during the summit but there they are watching the end of the presentation pictures of themselves actually over the day and they are holding each other's hands as they do it with their wives by this side and before kim jong il and goes back to pyongyang in the south korean leader returns to seoul that really incredible pictures that

we're seeing from the demilitarized zone let's bring in kimberly how could again who's watching those in washington d.c. and i can't help but wonder if you know how the new national security adviser john bolton the secretary of state might pay and who's been in north korea on what was a secret meeting with the north korean leader but how these two new figures and the u.s. administration will be looking at what's happened today ahead of that planned summit between u.s. president donald trump and kim jong il. and that is certainly a bit of a question mark here in the united states we certainly know that both of these leaders have sorry rather john bolton the national security adviser ministration officials like to say and my camp am now the top diplomat of the united states that they have very hawkish views they tend to be fairly aggressive in their approach

and so i think that many people are expecting that the words of donald trump that we've heard repeatedly be heard earlier this week he met with the french president emanuel that in fact there is going to be a real sticking point on the issue of concrete steps toward denuclearization was repeatedly underscored by the president in his joint press conference that so far the united states has. made no concessions but they recognize that the north korean leader has made significant concessions they say although they have an outline specifically what those are in terms of getting to this meeting that many are hopeful will still take place although donald trump is certainly left open the possibility that the meeting could not happen so i think that the united states and particularly mike pompei oh john bolton they are going to be looking in these meetings that are ongoing high level negotiations that the president has acknowledged are taking place only that he said good things are happening we're

sort of left guessing what those things are but there are some concrete measures now you have to sort of when you i'm still looking at these pictures and they're so incredible when you think with regard to the united states where things have come from just from a year ago the fact that donald trump was saying things like calling him little rocket man and threatening fire and fury to this week calling him honorable in terms of the steps he has taken certainly shows just how quickly things are moving absolutely incredible pictures that we have thing all day and especially now from the demilitarized zone before the leaders. and moon and their wives and bracing before they will be going back to their separate ways they'll all be in great proles. in the ceremony before that presentation of the now they getting into a car it looks like. yes kim jong un and his wife are now

getting in the car after this day of meetings with the south korean leader to go back to the north after this joint declaration to deed nuclearize the korean peninsula has been signed so kim jong un leaving the demilitarized zone now and i imagine that the south korean leader will not be far behind him and as our correspondent in washington d.c. can believe help was saying these pictures would be pretty hard to believe any time last year in fact when we saw a year of nuclear tests of testing and to continental ballistic missiles but here we have a joint declaration to denuclearize the prevention amongst many other steps of the two korean leaders going their separate ways so what will happen now kathy what are we expecting to happen in the next few days and weeks and months to actually achieve some of those things that have been in the joint declaration that was

signed today. well in addition to the koreas of course there are many other players we've been talking about the united states also china japan and russia are often mentioned when talking about agreements when it comes to denuclearize the korean peninsula we're expecting korean president to speak on the phone with the u.s. president donald trump to brief him on what was said at this meeting ahead of that expected meeting that we've been discussing between donald trump and kim jong un we know that. not only had to be official talks but also a quiet moment. the two had private discussions for more than a half hour with no aides no no takers just the two of them it was broadcast live on television as they were talking you could see their lips moving but we don't know what was said to the. that discussion maybe something that would come up in

that phone call between president and president is also expected to prime minister . of japan all the leaders will be very much interested in hearing what was discussed today and what would be the next steps forward to make sure that this agreement is. sort of saying now we're watching now cathy shortly after the north korean leader left the south korean president leaving. the demilitarized zone and he does not of course have. security guards running alongside his vehicle as the north korean leader which we've seen which we've seen what will the south korean leader. be returning to kathy in terms of. in terms of how people are responding to the progress that has been made

today. i think he could probably talk today. because. a lot of his presidential platform coming into office succeeding the conservative president who was impeached and was pushing more of this dialogue and engagement with north korea so to see that come about quite quickly to see him in a room meeting with the leader kim jong un is very significant for who already has quite high approval ratings here in south korea of course there are some who are again. especially conservative elderly south koreans who don't trust north korea who remember the korean war remember promises that north korea has made in the past and do not want to see this going ahead but for the most part i think. we'll be coming out of the meeting to

a population that is pleased to see this symbolism of togetherness for the two koreas the leaders leaving in their cars going back to their respective capitals but of course earlier in the day both of them stepped over that military demarcation line that separates the two koreas i think that will go down in history certainly and in the memories of many south koreans who watched today kathy thank you very much for that for now that's. correspondent kathleen novak she is live in . and these a lot of these are pictures that we are watching from earlier today earlier on friday all of the korean leaders stepping all over the border that has separated the two countries since the end of the korean war in one nine hundred fifty three it is the first time that has happened the first time a south korean leader has stepped over the border to the north or north korean leader has stepped into the south and of course the big achievement off the day

friday of this into korean summit has been the joint declaration that the two leaders signed an unprecedented declaration to work together to nuclearize the korean peninsula and achieve permanent peace on that when this is extended coverage often to korean summit taking place and i will have more on that for you in just under thirty minutes. really so liberated as a journalist is going to lose a little. that's what his job. and if a man has. been a victim and. are members of any bitter. battle . in the. late battle of

a significant hillbilly. who's out of the ability in the village movie but of the movie. and the image can leave a phenol only at the most that he well that it. is called between his two home countries. yemen a nation destroyed by war and in the midst of what the u.n. calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis. and the united states were donald trump's travel ban has now made it seemingly impossible to bring his family. not a huge health conditions that. they should follow when you when you want to live in a he move to us. we should.

miss you been his family have been living in the east african nation of djibouti across the sea from yemen for almost four months. there hasn't been an american embassy in yemen for over three years now because of the war. that means visa applicants including american citizens like me she have had their cases assigned to foreign countries like to booty as they try to get their families away from the consulate. muffy hall and a mission to land up another about how to mesquite. my fishing in county and my vision down i let out a last. i'm in hot and better than hot and heavy eleven michel how to. tell distorter eleven year old was born with cerebral palsy making it more urgent for her to get adequate medical care something that's become increasingly difficult

in yemen and we're. in that he should at least see if they need it out of. a money if you have about. it one and only happen if not in the bowels of. the fianna ship and. as the war escalates and as you've applied for visas forced family to join him in the u.s. where he works to support them and where she met can get stable medical care. they applied well before donald trump became president and introduced a travel ban. now so frightened protests marked initial chaotic rollout of the ban which stopped the entry of nationals from a number of muslim majority countries including yemen. released just a week after trying to cough us the order more through three versions while it was being challenged in court. so it wasn't until december that the full impact on

families became clear when the supreme court allowed the third version of the band to go into effect. a month and a half later his family had their interview at the u.s. embassy here in djibouti describe what happened in the embassy here and. listen in the night. i had been so into japan-u.s. so. because she was born after she became a citizen his youngest daughter could be issued a passport but his wife and two other daughters needed visas. and the life of them went on best fear about him and. and how did you feel when you got there and i can learn how it happened now not in the hell not of the feast not it's not. that you see here show me the papers. there were about. one of the changes in the latest version of the travel is the inclusion of one

pathway to the u.s. a waiver that can be granted on a case by case basis if applicants meet three criteria the more. the men would at least. little. old me a while and then within that when we hear i wanted to hold it if it was funny the oven talks are fucked and they and if. you have to have one hell of a lot of old me how they had. let me have it of them up i. thought that given seamus condition and the fact that he's an american citizen they would qualify for a waiver. with no appeals process or one hope now is the supreme court which is hearing a challenge to the travel with the decision to come in the summer. until their

lives are in limbo. the how in the. vision in the machine and then and in a genre and if it. living here has cost him his savings and he's relying on family and friends to get by so now he's questioning if they can bear the weight and to booty still have to go back to yemen so now that you've been refused what's your. plan so i don't know if the american will know how little you know how do the little alan or. julia must. and a lot of gallia money enough. to warn yemen shows no signs of slowing as northern rebels continue to fight with the coalition led by saudi arabia and supported by the united states. now in its fourth year the conflict has destroyed much of the country's infrastructure leading to widespread disease and

famine and over twenty two million people in need of humanitarian assistance. it's this that so many yemenis are trying to escape as they try to reunite with their families in the u.s. . instead hundreds have been stranded between their two homes stuck in a foreign country. we went to meet with a group of applicants who'd been in djibouti for months many of whom had a ready received a waiver rejections under the ban. who here has a u.s. citizenship. so a lot of the. so you you have citizenship i was born and raised and so you're applying for my life. i got the philippines so you know what you're going to do now . now let libya me and now look if in the well i want to man it will be a good thing that he lets on the innocence and i'm going to those any of this

over again i'm most to spend tens of thousands of dollars waiting in djibouti where there's a high cost of living spending fortunes and borrowing fortunes and in the end. if you refuse to. raise the hope and i said if you know them over the last ten years you know i'll do that now that i got in the government and was here but i you know . you could just got out i did yeah there are going to be and i know. that's the question facing everyone here as they grapple with how to keep their families united and figure out where their home is no where and you know how is this affecting your families torn in broken down emotions you know will we come here and signs of hope and then they just tear that apart. the moment fists day was lifted all of these people received these a denial with

a notice that they were also denied a waiver a mess is an attorney with the center for constitutional rights which has been working with yemeni american business applications who have received a waiver ejections for their relatives she says there's been little transparency from the administration about how waivers are actually granted so how does one apply for a reason where there isn't a formal application process there isn't a real template available there isn't a form i fail of all you just go with a very thin language that's in the proclamation and you try to argue that you meet that criteria that you would be subjected to. and you are cheap if you deny that it would be in the national interest so let un and that you don't pose a threat to national security but it's a bit of a shadow boxing exercise because you don't really know what it is you need to show to meet that criteria you don't know what you're going to leave or many of the families we met didn't even know that there was a waiver in the largely because they began their application process years ago are

you aware of what the waiver process was. or people who had gone through their interview process and filed all the documents while before it was ever such a thing as a waiver so they didn't even make a case for and you hardship on what basis where they've being denied it's like you're getting a rejection for something you didn't even ask for and that seems particularly you know cough fast that you know your application for a waiver has been denied and i'm you know you've never even applied for one these are us citizens and us awful permanent residents who have a right to be reunited with their families. one of the couples we met in djibouti has been trying to start a life in the us for nearly three years i. hear yeah sure thanks for seeing us and make some home and soon them a man has to reach your muhammad first moved to new york in his early twenties when

he went back to yemen a few years later he analyses or got married and they had their daughter. the war broke out when she was still a toddler. i will be the one to be the one but it will be the what do you know what i'm going to get with a hand stuck on. us well that's a tough but i can feel about of a listener that has that has a. little bit of that has to feel that he has definitely a lot of help as a little girl as a possible play out of that if i don't. play out i don't know if i had a lot of. mohammed became a citizen when he went back to the u.s. where he was working and most of his family lives and started planning for aziz on the mayor to join him. playstyle you started the house furniture for the house and the city tell you we named you and found. when they got to djibouti five year old

neha was given a visa but her mother was still waiting for a decision. because of the from the embassy mandated focusing. on these it's come to the embassy to morrow she'd like to know what those lives begin to be the moment when the same case saying i'm so they know that you might go to be there so i don't usually get my was rejected. but aziz is interview took place before the ban went into effect and it was unclear to her that she had to make a case for a waiver. talk i'm more confident of them and had the i don't know on the record i walk across. the so i got out of town. i have been. pushing the political. that says the waiver won't be granted in your case take into account the provisions

of helpfulness. they give you any other reason that they explain why it was solid by doing that you've asked for advice and just question you they even give you information from them and. the family needs to make a decision about their future within days because muhammad in their daughter has to go to the u.s. while she still has a visa. but then the question is where we go. for the hello and hamas has and that's the kind of hat that has the temple would have that the path that that fish. and the i don't want in the hat if you can set it to the. can. for the hand of the house i don't. know how to enter into that window west and i am sure i will. have.

a month and a lot of time to lot. of the. house. for what. i lack. the separation facing mahomedan as he's a shared by too many families their lives on pause as they wait for the supreme court to decide. some in djibouti others having returned to yemen. and their relatives in the u.s. waiting hoping they can be together soon. before the war yemeni americans were able to travel relatively easily between their two home countries. that's the case for abdul figgis. he works in the u.s. for an a.t.m. company to support his family. we went to meet him at his apartment just outside new york city home to generations of yemeni americans

a wave of immigrants they came from our area in yemen abdul's family's roots in the u.s. go back almost a century i'm a fourth generation fourth generation in the country my father was grandfather. from his mother's side of the cities my father was a citizen all my uncles are citizens abdul had hoped his children would continue that line to. she was twenty years old her mother was seventeen when i was nine and this is my life. and your other son so nineteen years old obama is nothing in this area he first applied for visas for his wife and four children in two thousand and fifteen just after the war began it marked the beginning of their first long separation which lasted almost three years well it's me being here supporting them one. source of income to me i want to live

and that was the logic for me to come what's more she knew was that was a lot of that any time. the next time he would see them would be in djibouti when they left yemen and traveled there for their visa interview with the interview together wasn't generally twenty nine and the interview the lower one he was a job for citizenship if you get it is that most of the he was with was you. it's difficult to reconcile obtuse family's history in america with the fact that his own children are now banned from coming here that wasn't that america that we thought that we'd be to live them to come to or. like to have settled here first so a lot of lives. there for the day we met abdul the rest of his family had just left to booty it was too expensive to stay there so they went to jordan where the wait for the supreme court's decision it's going to be

a life changing decision up so that. when you are living there you feel lonely but you still have the hole that they're going to come on was just going to be a normal process for to brenne them since it's guess that tata done. with the band and you feel even lonelier than when the four. kids are on the other side of the globe. at this as it's very. very hard then. the wait for families is costing them both emotionally and financially. as they try

to cope with the uncertainty of what their future is. that i live in a new book but what's in the middle of. the not. that amount of money but many of. the families we met during our reporting like najib and his family seemed like they met the criteria for a waiver under the. one of the things that where really sort of scratching our heads about it sister and you are an arm and how we can show that many of the people as you can imagine leaving countries like yemen suffer and you hardship if they're not able to rejoin their families in the u.s. yet there hasn't been any kind of instruction or clarification by the administration as to what standard you would need to show it to me that and you

hardship requirement. the families we met also seems like they meet the criteria particularly because they're american citizens and in this case his daughter she met needs critical medical care both of which are listed as qualifications to be considered for a waiver. so who's deciding who gets a waiver the u.s. government official position is that it's a consular officers discretionary decision but if you put yourself in a position of a consular officer and you're sort of told and the rhetoric around at the administration is over sort of an overall ban these people from these countries are essentially undesirable we're going to have a much harder look to decide whether or not someone should be eligible for a waiver. according to state department data some to congress in the months after the ban went into effect eight thousand four hundred applications from the targeted countries were processed. but only two waivers were approved. the stay.

departments later told us that four hundred sixty waivers for granted in a period of four months but they refused to say out of how many obligations. by claiming that there is a robust waiver process through which you can take a waiver it's sort of takes away some of the harm it's a bit more sugar coating what is bad and not sugar coating disappears if you look at what's happening on the ground and see that the waiver processes only there and name but not in practice. the state department declined our request to interview officials at the u.s. embassy in djibouti or in washington. but while they were in djibouti we managed to catch the then secretary of state rex tillerson on a tour of five african nations it was just a few days before trump would fire. the yemen war is.