Sayed Naser, a former Afghan interpreter who helped U.S. military forces during the war in Afghanistan, was arrested by ICE agents earlier this month after appearing for an immigration hearing in San Diego. He may now face deportation despite death threats from the Taliban.
Naser鈥檚 attorney, Brian McGoldrick, who requested that his client鈥檚 family name not be used, said Naser came to the U.S. within the past two years after he was unable to be airlifted out of Afghanistan during the U.S. withdrawal. Naser used the now-defunct CBP One app to ask for asylum at the San Ysidro Port of Entry. He was granted parole and was in the process of applying for a Special Immigrant Visa.
鈥淲hile he was in Afghanistan, he was threatened repeatedly. His family was threatened repeatedly,鈥 McGoldrick said. 鈥淗e believes that if he returns, he鈥檒l be detained, probably tortured, and possibly even killed.鈥
As part of its aggressive immigration policy, the Trump administration has been making it harder for asylum-seekers to stay in the U.S. The scene of ICE agents arresting immigrants at courthouses has become common in the past few months, but Naser鈥檚 situation in San Diego played out a bit differently.
Bystanders filmed Naser as he was approached by two masked ICE agents after a routine immigration hearing. The agents don鈥檛 show a warrant, and they don鈥檛 even seem to be sure they have the right person. In the video, Naser can be heard telling the agents that he worked with the U.S. military back in his home country, Afghanistan. As the agents handcuff him, Naser starts to tell onlookers that he鈥檚 a former interpreter for the U.S. Army.
鈥淗e spent three years working with the U.S. military at great risk to himself, and the Taliban already killed part of his family,鈥 McGoldrick said. 鈥淭hey [ICE] didn鈥檛 care that, you know, he was really our ally. I don鈥檛 think anybody took the time to even go through that. They want to deny him even the opportunity to have his asylum case heard by having his case dismissed, putting him into expedited removal, and trying to spirit him out of the country.鈥
ICE confirmed that Naser is in custody but did not provide additional details.
Sarah Verardo is a national advocate for wounded veterans and their caregivers and the founder of the advocacy group Save Our Allies. Verardo鈥檚 husband was severely wounded in Afghanistan. She said seeing Afghans like Naser arrested is another wound.
鈥淪o much of the moral injury that we see among veterans now has really resurfaced with these issues of how we鈥檝e abandoned our Afghan allies. And the Trump administration has an opportunity, while they pursue strong immigration reform, to also say that as a nation, we stand with those who stood with us.鈥
NPR (6/19/25) By Quil Lawrence