The boy was later reunited with his mum (Picture: CNN)

A five-year-old boy was reportedly handcuffed and held in custody for five hours because he may have been ‘a threat to America’.

The child was one of more than 100 people held at airports across the United States after Donald Trump signed an order banning travel from seven majority Muslim countries.

UK ivory sale petition to be debated in parliament after hitting 100,000 signatures

At Washington DC’s Dulles Airport, the schoolboy was allegedly separated from his mother after he was deemed as a possible threat.

He was later identified to be a US citizen who lives in Maryland.


Speaking after the incident, Donald Trump’s Press Secretary Sean Spicer said: ‘To assume that just because of someone’s age and gender that they don’t pose a threat would be misguided and wrong.’

White House spokesman Sean Spicer spoke out following the incident (Picture: Reuters/ Kevin Lamarque)

The little boy was seen on CNN being showered by kisses from his mum as they were reunited.



According to the Mirror, Senator Chris Van Hollen, who revealed that the child was from America, described the incident as ‘outrageous’.

He allegedly added that the boy was detained despite authorities having advance notice of his arrival.

Rival petition launched in support of Donald Trump getting a state visit

Van Hollen added that he later tried to see if the child had been released – but was refused information by airport authorities.

On Friday, Trump signed an executive order banning refugees from entering the country, during a Pentagon swearing-in ceremony for Secretary of Defence, James Mattis.

He claims that the order is designed to ‘prohibit radical terrorists from entering the country’ – however, it will temporarily ban any refugee from entering the United States.

No new visas will be issued from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen for at least 30 days.

An indefinite ban will be implemented on Syrian refugees.

Refugees from the other six countries will be banned for 120 days.