Two former Afghan interpreters for US forces, both of whom have completed legal immigration procedures and possess supporting documentation, are facing possible deportation from the United States, raising concerns among veterans and refugee advocates.
The men, identified as 36-year-old Zia and 33-year-old Sayed Naser, are currently detained in Connecticut and San Diego, respectively. According to the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Zia is under investigation for a “serious criminal allegation” and has been deemed a “risk to national security.”
However, their attorneys told The Washington Post that both men have extensive documentation, including military records, letters of recommendation, contracts, and immigration approvals, proving their cooperation with US forces in Afghanistan and their eligibility for protection under the US Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) and asylum programmes.
Zia worked as an interpreter and cultural adviser for the US military from 2005 to 2009. After fleeing to Pakistan with his family in 2021, he applied for an SIV, which was approved by the US State Department in April 2024. Residing in Connecticut and nearing the final stage of obtaining his green card, Zia was arrested on 16 July and issued an immediate deportation order.
Sayed Naser, who worked as an interpreter between 2011 and 2013 before founding a logistics firm contracting with US forces, fled Afghanistan after the Taliban targeted his family. His brother was killed and his father arrested after militants failed to locate him following an attack on a family wedding in 2021. Naser travelled through Iran and Brazil before reaching Mexico, and in July 2024 was granted entry to the US on a humanitarian visa. He was arrested during his first asylum hearing in June this year.
The Department of Homeland Security claims there is no evidence that Naser worked with US forces. His attorney disputes this, stating that extensive records proving his service have been submitted.
Matt Zeller, a US Army veteran and long-time advocate for Afghan allies, criticised the arrests: “The Trump administration knows what’s going to happen to these folks. They’re not stupid. They understand that the Taliban is going to kill them when they get back to Afghanistan.”
Andrew Sullivan, another US Army veteran who served in Afghanistan, called the detentions “another betrayal” by a government that has also ended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghans.
Jill Marie Bussey, director of legal affairs at Global Refuge, said the crackdown on Afghan migrants is part of a broader immigration directive by the Trump administration, which reportedly mandates that immigration enforcement agencies detain at least 3,000 individuals per day.
A White House spokesperson defended the administration’s immigration policies, saying its top priority is “arresting and removing the dangerous, violent, illegal criminal aliens that Joe Biden let flood across our southern border, of which there are many.”
Advocates have warned that deporting individuals like Zia and Naser could be tantamount to handing them a death sentence under Taliban rule.
