Ahmed Mohamed, the 14-year-old Irving freshman who was handcuffed and suspended for bringing a homemade clock to school that was mistaken for a fake bomb, visited the White House on Monday.
He spent the evening stargazing from the South Lawn during the White House's Astronomy Night event, which brought together scientists and engineers from the astronomy and the space industries with students and teachers.
"We think Ahmed will fit right in," U.S. Chief Data Scientist D.J. Patil said ahead of the event, according to a White House blog post titled "We Stand with Ahmed (And We Hope He'll Join Us For Astronomy Night)."
"We think it's really important that kids with a passion for science and technology have the opportunities they need to reach for the stars (sometimes, that's literal)," said Patil.
Ahmed was personally invited last month by the President's top science advisor Dr. John Holdren.
The invitation came shortly after Ahmed was arrested and detained by the Irving Police Department because one of his teachers believed a homemade clock he brought to school was a fake bomb.
A photo of his arrest shows him in a NASA t-shirt with handcuffs hanging loosely from his thin wrists.
I expect they will have more to say tomorrow, but Ahmed's sister asked me to share this photo. A NASA shirt!
Ahmed was suspended for three days from MacArthur High School.
The Irving Police Department did not charge Ahmed after its investigation showed there was no "evidence to support the perception he intended to create alarm."
Ahmed said in a press conference last month that he will not be returning to the school.
The teen's arrest incited national outcry over discrimination against Muslims and Islamophobia. People began posting to social media under #IStandWithAhmed.
Politicians and technology entrepreneurs including Hillary Clinton and Mark Zuckerberg also tweeted their support.
Assumptions and fear don't keep us safe—they hold us back. Ahmed, stay curious and keep building. https://t.co/ywrlHUw3g1
The tweet that led to his attendance Monday at the White House came from President Obama himself.
Cool clock, Ahmed. Want to bring it to the White House? We should inspire more kids like you to like science. It's what makes America great.
On Tuesday morning, following Ahmed's visit to the White House, Congressman Mike Honda called on the U.S. Attorney General to investigate the circumstances of Ahmed's detention and arrest.
"Only then will we find real solutions to discriminatory practices," Honda said. "We cannot sweep acts like this under the rug."