Sayed Naser, an Afghan translator for U.S. troops, was arrested during his asylum hearing in San Diego. He entered the U.S. legally after fleeing Taliban threats. Despite having no criminal record and an active asylum case, ICE agents detained him. Naser's brother was killed in Taliban violence, leading him to seek safety. Naser's case raises concerns about the treatment of Afghan allies seeking refuge in the U.S., and the government's abrupt dismissal attempt during the hearing casts doubts on procedural fairness.
"I came here to make a better life," Naser said in the video clip. "I worked with the U.S. military. I worked in a very dangerous part of Afghanistan with the U.S. military."
Naser worked as a translator and logistics contractor for the U.S. forces at military bases in Afghanistan, according to a press release from AfghanEvac.
He was granted humanitarian parole, applied for a Special Immigrant Visa and was in the process of scheduling an asylum hearing when he was arrested by ICE.
During the hearing, the U.S. government tried to dismiss his asylum case, saying that Naser's notice to appear was "improvidently issued" without giving any other explanation.
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