DALLAS — Maryam and Ula Kamalmaz are hoping to get their message to President Donald Trump.
The two sisters have been working behind the scenes to get their father Majd Kamalmaz home to the United States after he was arrested at a checkpoint in Damascus and taken to a prison nearby, according to the family.
"It's just an emotional wreck. It's been an emotional journey," said Maryam.
Majd is a U.S. citizen, born in Syria. He went to there to see grieving family members after a death in the family.
Ula told WFAA that the last time she talked with her father was in Feb. 2017. She says his trip was only supposed to last a few days.
What surprises these two sisters is that their father was not political. Instead they described him as a humanitarian with a professional mental health background.
"Ever since he was a young man he had a passion for helping others," said Ula.
The U.S. Department of State told ABC News that the United States government is in regular contact with the Kamalmaz family regarding the case.
President Trump has had success in bringing Americans detained overseas back home. Families who had members detained in Turkey and North Korea have had positive outcomes and Kamalmaz's daughters are hoping for similar outcomes.
"Every day we talk about him. We pray that he will be released and it's our faith that he will be back," said Maryam.