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Operation Rescue's Troy Newman speaks at the National March for Life youth conference in Ottawa on May 15, 2015.Alissa Golob / Campaign Life Coalition

MELBOURNE, Australia, October 1, 2015 (LifeSiteNews) — Right to Life Australia has pulled out all stops to overturn the withdrawal of Troy Newman's visa after he arrived in Australia early this morning. Since his arrival, Newman has been kept in a holding cell at Melbourne international airport.

Knowing that he had successfully boarded at Los Angeles and was on his way, one staff member even sacrificed her sleep to work throughout the night preparing documentation for a legal appeal the next morning, without knowing what change had enabled him to depart for Australia.

For Newman, getting through to Australia was surprisingly easy.  Having been stopped at Denver, he had made his own way to Los Angeles on another airline.  Once there, he boarded the aircraft of his original airline using the boarding passes still in his possession.  “Nobody stopped him or questioned him or nothing when it came to boarding the plane,” according to Cheryl Sullenger from Operation Rescue.

United Airlines is facing a fine for allowing a passenger without a valid visa to travel to Australia.  In an ironic twist, any fine applied would be against an airline that has been connected with supporting Planned Parenthood.

It has since been discovered that Newman's notice of the withdrawal of his visa was sent to him via traditional postal mail to his United States address and not by email.

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Right to Life Australia has taken the appeal to the  High Court of Australia with an initial hearing at 10:30am that morning, followed by further hearings in the afternoon and evening.  According to an AAP report, the process was made more difficult as Newman was unable to communicate with RTLA lawyers acting on his behalf.  He remained in a holding cell at Melbourne international airport, but his wife Melissa was able to attend the court as her visa was valid.

The Guardian Australia has reported that “shortly after counsel for Newman told the high court the visa decision was flawed, lawyers for the immigration minister said they were willing to enter into discussions with Newman” in turn enabling him a 24 hour extension before he can be deported.  

“The basis of the [visa] finding seems to rest solely on the adverse reaction to my client’s presence in Australia,” barrister Richard Knowles said. “There was no question at all that that my client has ever advocated violence.”

In responding to members of Parliament who have written to Immigration Minister Peter Dutton advocating for Newman, Dutton was “clear he won't be changing his mind.” But the Sydney Morning Herald has since reported that “High Court Justice Geoffrey Nettle has adjourned the matter until Friday afternoon to give Mr Dutton time to consider the case overnight.”

The Right to Life Australia conference that Newman is the keynote speaker for is still scheduled for Friday.  It is still not known if he will be able to attend.