i have no idea. >> reporter: hadden is scared. she started a facebook campaign called "trapped in brazil." >> i have no documents here, ultimately they could throw me in prison because i'm undocumented in this country. so my thoughts are desperation and fear on a daily basis. >> reporter: now hadden's family here at home, and two members of congress, are fighting to get her and ava back to the u.s. in a similar case, david goldman spent five years fighting to get his son back from brazil where he was taken by his mother. he finally brought sean home in 2009 and is critical of brazil's handling of these cases. >> they seem to want to do their own things, almost sort of a rogue way of custody, ignoring international laws. >> reporter: he is very concerned for parents in this kind of situation. >> the only advice to give a parent in this situation, is don't go. >> reporter: in legal limbo, on facebook, hadden writes, "good night america, we sure do miss you, land of the free." and state department officials tell abc news, they're quo

. >> reporter: a big welcome home for shauna hadden and daughter ava, back in the u.s. after being stranded in brazil for nearly two months fighting an international custody dispute. until a judge ruled earlier this week that mom and daughter were free to leave. >> i was so nervous that i was going to be there forever and i was going to lose my job, i was going to lose my education. >> reporter: the massachusetts mother and daughter traveled to brazil in may for a planned visit with the girl's father, the first visit in nearly four years. >> i crossed all my ts and dolted all my is and still it happened. which it's still a little bit of a shock to me. >> reporter: despite having full custody herself, hadden said it wasn't until she landed in brazil that she learned ava's father was also now seeking custody. >> that's when he said to me you're in my place now. things are going to change. it's my way now. >> reporter: when staying with friends, hadden says brazilian authorities acting on a judge's orders came and seized the mother and daughter's passports. >> they demande

within days of their arrival, he took hadden to court. brazilian authorities confiscating their passports. hadden says ex is trying to keep ava in brazil. when are you supposed to get your passports back? >> i have no timeframe. i have no idea. >> reporter: now, hadden, is turning to facebook for help. her page, trapped in brazil, has thousands of supporters. her family and members of congress are fighting to get her and ava back to the u.s. >> i have no documents here. so, my thoughts are desperation and fear on a daily basis. >> reporter: now, a man with a similar story is speaking out in support of hadden. david goldman, whose son was taken to brazil by his mother. spent five years to get his son back. in 2009, he did. >> our country, our embassy, our state department should do whatever they can to issue this mom and this daughter passports and get them on the next plane home. >> reporter: today, goldman is critical of how brazil handles these situations. >> they seem to want to do their own things, almost sort of a rogue way of custod

hadden and her daughter are afforded all legal protections entitled to them. for "today," michelle franzen, nbc news, new york. >>> just ahead on "today," royal baby fever. it is in full force both across the pond and, frankly, right here as well as we get closer to duchess kate's due date. the boys used double miles from their capital one venture card to fly home for the big family reunion. you must be garth's father? hello. mother. mother! traveling is easy with the venture card because you can fly any airline anytime. two words. double miles! this guy can act. wanna play dodge rock? oh, you guys! and with double miles you can actually use, you never miss the fun. beard growing contest and go! ♪ i win! what's in your wallet? i win! wherever your sutwist the ride... with twizzlers. the twist you can't resist. [ male announcer ] fight pepperoni heartburn and pepperoni breath fast with tums freshers. concentrated relief that goes to work in seconds and freshens breath. tums freshers. ♪ tum...tum...tum...tum... tums! ♪ fast heartburn relief and minty fresh

he was denied that, hadden says. but the brazilian judge did order that the father was allowed a supervised visit no later than today. along with ordering that ava turn over her passport. when police came to her door, hadden said she surrendered hers, as well. >> i feared to even go in the car. if i get pulled over and they ask me for my documents, they could throw me in prison. >> reporter: more than a month later, the u.s. state department has not been able to get hadden and ava out of brazil. saying in a statement, the department will continue to monitor the case closely. when are you supposed to get those passports back? >> i have no time frame. i have no idea. >> reporter: stateside, hadden's family is worried sick. >> the only comforting thoughts for my whole family is, she's staying with a wonderful family. >> reporter: massachusetts senator elizabeth warren and congressman richard neal, are calling for mother and child's return. >> we intend to follow up on it. we've already done it twice. we intend to pursue

hadden says ex is trying to keep them in brazil. now, hadden, is turning to facebook for help. her page, trapped in brazil, has thousands of supporters. her family and members of congress are fighting to get her and little ava back to the u.s. >> i have no documents here. my thoughts are desperation and fear on a daily basis. >> reporter: now, a man with a similar story is speaking out in support of hadden. david goldman was taken to brazil by his mother. spent five years to get his son back. in 2009, he did. >> our country, our embassy, our state department should do whatever they can to issue this mom and this daughter passports and get them on the next plane home. >> reporter: today, goldman is critical of how brazil handles these situations. >> they seem to want to do their own things, almost sort of a rogue way of custody. ignoring international laws. ignoring previous set, ordered custody rulings. >> reporter: he believes there's only one way for parents to protect children in cases like this. >> the only advice to give a parent in this situation is don't go. >> reporter:

. >> one of my employees that hadden abohad been helping her had to step away. in that amount of time she reached into the crib, shoved the puppy underneath her jacket and walked out the door. >> she gets the puppy snatcher arrested and charged with grand theft. she may soon have to put those innocent puppies behind bars too. >> every time it happens, i lose more and more faith in people. i really don't want to put the dogs behind glass or in cages. but if this epidemic continue, i'm going to have no choice. >>> 911, what's your emergency? >> i'm calling about that bank robbery. >> august 28, 2003. a bizarre robbery is reported at the pnc bank in erie, pennsylvania. >> what happened? >> the guy just walked out with a -- i don't know how much cash in the bag. he had a bomb or something wrapped around his neck. >> minutes later, the suspect is arrested and handcuffed. but strangely, he's not hauled off to jail. instead, what happens next leaves a police force and an entire town scratching their heads in utter disbelief. the bank robber is brian wells, a pizza deli

this is the kind of thing that enrages and outrages us, because if it had been reversed and any of us hadden grated a victim of any other community, they would never tolerate that. and they shouldn't. >> of course they shouldn't. i mean, look. sean hannity is part of that cultural conditioning i'm talking about. he has to say those kinds of things to prop up his false sense of superiority. let us just understand what is going on. thank god at least over on that side of the cable channel, you have chris wallace who says no, wait a minute. let's be reasonable here. but you know what the great thing is about what i heard the president say? and i thought about my own grown children. and you have grown children too. and that is when he says when i sit and observe them talking with their friends, they look at us sometimes and wonder what is wrong with you guys. >> and our children are older than his. and it's different. but at the same time -- >> because they did. they blended. >> they grow up different. but that's as a result of people having the conversation and struggling to come together. >> a