HOUSTON – Mohammad Abu Khadra, 16, lives in Jordan, but visits his family in Katy as often as he can.
On Saturday, Khadra was on his way to Houston when he was stopped at Bush Intercontinental Airport.
His brother, Rami, said immigration authorities said Mohammad wouldn't be allowed back in the country and he was kept at the airport for several days.
"They got an office, like, a small office. He was staying in a chair all the time there," Rami said.
At first, Rami thought the confusion was because of President Donald Trump's executive order on immigration.
Part of the order prohibits citizens from seven countries from entering the U.S. for 90 days.
Those countries include Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
Jordan is not on the list.
Rami thinks it was all bad timing.
Mohammad landed right when protests were breaking out and there was a lot of uncertainty and questions about the executive order.
"It's like he got extra attention maybe in the airport because he was coming from the Middle East, maybe," Rami said.
On Tuesday, Rami said, their family was informed Mohammed may have violated the terms of his visa.
He's in possesion of a tourist visa, but he was taking English classes at Katy High School while he was here, so he should have had a student visa instead.
"I tried to get him some English so he could speak some English," Rami said.
Mohammad was eventually sent to Chicago and is now being kept at a detention center with no access to his cellphone.
He's hoping to either return to Jordan or be allowed back in Houston.
Meanwhile, the brothers’ parents are in Jordan and they’re worried sick about their son, who is alone.
"We got nobody there in Chicago. We can't see him," Rami said.