Last month, a New York City couple was denied access to the Statue of Liberty because they were wearing T-shirts that said "Abolish ICE," Gothamist reports.

The National Parks Service has now said that not allowing the couple to complete their prepaid tour was a "misstep," per the outlet.

Tiffany Huang told Gothamist she'd never been to the monument before, but felt compelled to make a statement following the Trump administration's controversial family separation policy.

Afterward, the couple contacted the New York Civil Liberties Union, who got in contact with the NPS.

The couple will return the statue on Friday, Huang said.

Last month, a New York City couple was denied access to the Statue of Liberty because they were wearing T-shirts that said "Abolish ICE," Gothamist reports.

Tiffany Huang and her fiancé were visiting the monument on a pre-paid tour on July 14, she told the outlet. But as they approached the statute, security officials ordered them to take off their homemade "Abolish Ice" T-Shirts. When they refused, the officers told them to leave, according to Gothamist.

The National Parks Service has now said that not allowing the couple to complete their prepaid tour was a "misstep," per the outlet.

Huang and her fiancé wore the T-shirts because they felt they "needed to acknowledge the symbolism of visiting the Statue of Liberty" in light of the Trump administration's controversial family separation policy, she told Gothamist.

"We did not have any plans for any other sort of action — just exercising our right to free speech," Huang said.

But when she and her fiancé approached the statue via ferry they were stopped by security guards.

"A second security person came over to tell us he couldn't let us on the tour with our shirts," Huang, a Ph.D. student at Columbia University, told Gothamist. He said it was our 'choice' to either change or put on clothes over our t-shirts, or leave. So we said we would rather leave, and another security person walked us back out through security."

Huang told Gothamist the guards justified their rejection from the Statue of Liberty, which is a state park, with "what happened on July 4th." The guard was seemingly referring to Therese Patricia Okoumou, the woman who scaled the Statue of Liberty on July 4, refusing to come down until "all the children are released."

Afterward, the couple contacted the New York Civil Liberties Union, who got in contact with the National Parks Service, per Gothamist.

According to the NYCLU, what happened the couple at the statue could be considered what's called viewpoint discrimination. Viewpoint discrimination, according to Cornell Law School's Legal Information Institute, refers to the idea that "the government may not discriminate against speakers based on their views."

"Prohibiting would-be visitors to the Statue of Liberty from accessing the nation's most prominent public symbol of welcoming immigrants simply because of the message on their shirts violates our most sacred values," NYCLU staff attorney Jordan Wells told INSIDER. "We're glad that the Parks Service has recognized the error."

The couple has been refunded for their tickets — and has been given the opportunity to return to the monument, Gothamist reports. And they said yes.

Huang told the outlet the couple will go back to the Statue of Liberty on Friday — and they'll be wearing the same "Abolish ICE" shirts.

A representative for the National Parks Service did not immediately return INSIDER's request for comment.

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