how that could have happened, you're not alone. the state department told cnn it doesn't interfere in deportation cases, that is up to the u.s. immigration service. and no one from immigration has returned multiple phone calls and e-mails, asking for comment. michael shannon hired the lawyer who arguably knows more about international child abduction than anyone in the country, who believes the u.s. government not only has done nothing to help, it may have expedited afaf khalifa's deportation. >> these are american boys, american citizens. they're not entitled to be egyptian citizens. and they've been held in a foreign country for 12 years, and the government unfortunately has done nothing about it. >> reporter: michael shannon turned to an egyptian court for help hiring an egyptian attorney to help him enforce his u.s. custody rights. the case was filed in 2002. it was postponed two years,