The Unite for Veterans Coalition Condemns the Arrest of Our Afghan Ally in San Diego and Demands His Release

June 13, Washington DC – Yesterday one of our Afghan allies was arrested while attending his immigration hearing. We demand the release of this individual who stood shoulder to shoulder with U.S. troops in Afghanistan. 

We have a responsibility to protect our Afghan allies. This man served alongside U.S. troops in Afghanistan as an interpreter and became a Taliban target because he had worked with us. He escaped Afghanistan, as did his family when it wasn’t safe to stay. He endured a perilous journey to get to our borders. He followed the rules and was lawfully paroled into the United States. He has a pending Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) application and a pending asylum application. He’s not asking for special treatment. Only for asylum so he can live safely and with dignity. 

Our Afghan allies protected us when we needed them. They shared our humvees. They were wounded with us. They gave their lives to protect us. Now it is our turn to look after them. We owe them. They are our teammates, our fellow soldiers, patriots. 

We cannot let those who risked their lives for our shared values be denied the safety and opportunity they deserve and that we promised them. 

We ask all veteran organizations and veterans, particularly those who fought in the Global War on Terror, to join us in standing up for our allies and in demanding that those who stood beside us, those who helped protect our country, now be allowed to live among us in safety and with dignity. We ask that all of us demand this man be released from custody. 

Contact: Arabella Meyer
info@unite4vets.org