A local group advocating for the resettlement of Afghan wartime allies in the U.S. has expressed deep concern regarding the recent arrest and detention of an Afghan man in Texas by federal immigration officials.
The group, AfghanEvac, reported that a former Afghan National Army soldier was taken into custody last month by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers at his home in the Houston area.
Despite having been previously granted asylum protections, the man’s status was reportedly revoked under the executive orders issued during President Donald Trump’s administration.
AfghanEvac emphasized that the arrest was executed without an individualized threat assessment, which raises further questions since the individual had a known history of cooperation with U.S. forces and maintained a clean criminal record.
The organization is calling on Congress, veterans, and military family members to demand an end to the perceived criminalization of Afghan allies.
Shawn VanDiver, president and board chairman of AfghanEvac, stated that the man had arrived in the U.S. under parole after being evacuated by the U.S. government in August 2021.
VanDiver highlighted that the detainee has no criminal history and has a pending asylum application, reinforcing the notion that he followed the appropriate legal channels.
Trained by the U.S. military, the Afghan soldier served alongside American troops and fled his home country after the Taliban regained control.
Despite adhering to these legal processes, VanDiver pointed out that this individual was still targeted and taken into custody, leading to questions about the treatment of those who stand beside U.S. forces.
“This is the human cost of political theater. This is not how we treat those who stood beside us. What message does this send to future allies?” VanDiver pondered.
Following the arrest, VanDiver met with U.S. Rep. Scott Peters, D-San Diego, who expressed strong support for the Afghan soldier’s situation.
In a report by Houston PBS, the man’s attorney revealed that both he and many family members are facing threats of deportation.
The attorney, Ali Zakaria, mentioned that the soldier has eight children, two of whom were born in the U.S. during the past four years.
For safety reasons, Zakaria declined to disclose the man’s name.
In a significant update, Zakaria stated that he was contacted by a former U.S. contractor who informed him that the Afghan man had saved the contractor’s life while he was working in Kandahar.
In March, U.S. House Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, along with two other House members, sent a letter to President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, urging them not to end protections for Afghans who had assisted the U.S. during the war in their country.
AfghanEvac is a nonprofit organization formed following the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan in August 2021.
The organization aims to facilitate communication and coalition efforts focused on helping Afghan nationals evacuate and resettle safely and swiftly, within the bounds of the law.
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