I'm so saddened by my visa status now that I don’t even know where or how to begin…. I am a 46-year-old entrepreneur involved in coffee production and cafes, with numerous employees including Americans among them. I have been living and holding onto a German passport for the past 20 years.

It doesn’t make sense to me; I have lived more than half of my life in a civilized country like Germany, decently. Why should I be banned from entering the United States? Why should I be punished, unable to see my family and pursue my dreams, seeking a better life because of conscription I had to undergo over 27 years ago, playing saxophone in the marching band?

I left Iran for good, starting my life as a young, bright person in Germany, pursuing my dreams… My brother applied for me back in 2005. All these years, I have been traveling between the States and Germany to be with my immediate family, who mostly live in Miami…

Suddenly receiving a refusal notice banning me from entering a country I have visited many times in the past is infuriating.