A 19-year-old Italian coming to visit family in Washington was detained at Chicago O’Hare International Airport and is being sent back to Italy. Paolo Amoruso was supposed to arrive at Cedar Rapids and be in Washington today with his aunt Lorraine Williams. Williams is the owner of Cafe Dodici, an Italian restaurant in downtown Washington. Williams shares he was going through the airport with his passport but was detained by Immigration and Customs officials.

Williams was on the way to the airport to pick Paolo up when she received a phone call from the officials holding him. The officials asked what the nature of his visit was, to which Williams said, “Just going to go to the Amana Colonies, take him to a lake, show him the American experience.” The official explained that he’d said he was going to work for Williams, but she said that wasn’t the case. Williams said he may have helped around the house as a thank you for staying, but not that he’d be employed. He had a return ticket for a flight on May 13th, 79 days after he was supposed to arrive. Italian citizens can visit the United States for 90 days as a tourist, and Williams has had other family members from Italy visit in the past.

Williams has spent the day on the phone with Senators Charles Grassley and Joni Ernst’s staff, as well as Representative Dave Loebsack’s office regarding the matter. As of 3 p.m. Thursday, Williams hadn’t been able to speak with Paolo. During her interview with KCII, she received a phone call from Grassley’s staff informing her that Paolo had signed an affidavit stating he was going to work while visiting and that he is set to go back to Italy on a flight that leaves Thursday night, the same night he was supposed to be in Iowa for the first time.