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Afghan Asylum Seeker Arrested in Houston, Faces Deportation
By Amelia Shepherd | HOUSTON – 2025/06/04 18:46:20
An Afghan National Army soldier, seeking asylum in the U.S., was recently arrested by federal immigration agents at his home in the Houston area. His attorney states that he and his family are now facing potential deportation.
senior Airman Taylor Crul/U.S. Air Force via AP
According to his attorney, Ali Zakaria, the man, who remains unnamed for security reasons, has eight children, two of whom were born in the U.S. He was brought to the country by the U.S.armed forces in 2021 following the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan. He previously worked as part of the Kandahar Strike Force,guarding a base where both American and Afghan soldiers were stationed.
Zakaria argues that his client’s pending asylum application shoudl have shielded him from arrest, but U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents allegedly disregarded it.
“He does not have a criminal record.He has not been charged with any crimes, and he has never been arrested in the U.S. before,” said Zakaria. “He was just seized and taken away.He tried to explain that he had proper parole status when he entered the U.S. and that that parole is still valid ’til the end of the year, or almost to the end of the year, but the ICE officer said, ‘We have canceled everything, and you’re out of status.’ And the charging document that has been filed with the court simply says that he’s in the United States without any status.”
Potential Impact on Afghan Community
Zakaria warns that ICE’s actions could place approximately 1,000 Afghans in the Houston area, and potentially 20,000 nationwide, at risk of similar arrests and deportation.
“It’s very concerning that ICE is targeting people who actually put their lives on the line for U.S. service members,”
ICE has not yet released a statement regarding the case.
“It doesn’t make any sense,” Zakaria said. “These are the people that were brought to the U.S. by the U.S. armed forces. They did not come to the U.S. illegally. They did not go across Mexico and then try to enter the United States. So, why attack this group? it’s simply inexplicable.”
