Trump's ICE Detains Afghans Who Helped U.S. Forces
A former Afghan intelligence officer who worked alongside U.S. forces sought safety in America. Now, under the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, his parole has been revoked, and he’s been detained without explanation.
In his first month back in office, President Donald Trump has raised alarms for Afghan allies in the U.S. who have spent years unsuccessfully seeking asylum or permanent residency after the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan. The BBC has reported that Afghans have already been deported, and are among the 299 migrants living in a Panamanian hotel without access to legal representation.
Nasib, a former Afghan intelligence officer, was detained two weeks ago during a regular check-in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). I spoke with Susan, the immigration lawyer representing Nasib. (Pseudonyms are being used to protect both against retribution.)
In her practice, Susan has helped hundreds of Afghans seek safety in the U.S. Nasib became her client in February 2024, just weeks after he claimed asylum at the border with Mexico and was paroled into the U.S.
Nasib served 13 years in Afghan military intelligence, training alongside American personnel and working closely with international partners. According to Susan, he saved many American lives. In a letter of recommendation shared with Reason, a U.S. intelligence professional assigned to mentor Nasib praised his vital work and called him "trustworthy and loyal."
Nasib's work put him squarely in the sights of the Taliban, who began targeting their enemies while seizing control of the country in the summer of 2021 and have continued their campaign of reprisal unimpeded.
To avoid a gruesome death, Nasib and his brother attempted to flee the country through Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport in August 2021. They were outside Abbey Gate on August 26 when an ISIS-K suicide bomber detonated explosives, killing 13 U.S. service members and 170 Afghans. Nasib's brother lost an arm, was hit by shrapnel in his neck, and now requires surgery that can only be performed outside the country.
Fearing that the Taliban would find and kill him, Nasib had to stay away from his family home, staying with relatives and friends for several days at a time to avoid capture. During his absence, the Taliban visited Nasib's wife and children, demanding to know his whereabouts.
Nasib applied to the Special Immigrant Visa program but was ineligible because he was an employee of the Afghan government. Nasib qualified for the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), which is currently suspended as the result of Trump's January 20th executive order. Without a former U.S. government employee to refer him to the USRAP, Nasib saw only one route to safety in the U.S. He applied for a visa to Brazil and became one of more than 8,100 Afghans who traveled through Central America between 2021 and mid-2024 to gain access to the U.S. border.
When he arrived in Mexico City in late 2023, Nasib applied for an appointment to request asylum with U.S. Customs and Border Protection using the now-defunct CBP One mobile app. Three months later, he presented himself at the border at the appointed time and was allowed into the U.S. on two years of parole.
Nasib settled into American life, finding a job at a distribution center that allowed him to send money home to his mother, brother, sisters, wife, and two children. At the end of 2024, he requested asylum at his master calendar hearing and included his wife and children as derivative applicants on his petition. Given an asylum hearing date in the spring of 2025, Nasib was told in the interim to go to his scheduled annual check-in with ICE in February.
With news of the Trump administration carrying out mass deportations of migrants, Susan insisted on accompanying Nasib to his ICE appointment. "I've gone to ICE check-ins before," Susan said, explaining that officers typically examine an applicant's papers and tell them to return the following year. During Nasib's appointment, Susan said she only saw two individuals brought into the facility and subsequently allowed to leave.
When Nasib was called, Susan was not allowed to accompany him. Later, Nasib recounted that ICE agents confiscated his wallet, shoes, and belt before arresting him without explanation. The agent did not respond to Nasib's request that he loosen Nasib's painfully tight handcuffs.
An agent told Susan that her client had been detained. When she asked why, the agent replied, "Well, new administration." Susan told the agent that Nasib had parole but was told in response that "parole is revoked." She asked again what the reason was for detaining Nasib and received the same answer: "new administration."
As his family's only wage earner, Nasib is concerned about them while he remains in detention—but Susan is fearful for her client. For 14 years, Nasib has been taking antidepressants, which ICE refuses to provide. Nasib was recently told that he could get counseling, but not for at least 20 days. Without his medication, he "is crying all the time," Susan says.
Nasib also cannot access halal meat or a copy of the Quran, which as a practicing Muslim, he is required to read throughout the coming month of Ramadan. Susan says it is unclear how the ICE facility will manage religious detainees' fasting requirements during Ramadan.
Susan is determined to do what she can for her client. "Now that he's in detention, it's up to me to try my best to get him out," she said. "It is very unjust." As an Afghan ally with no record, Susan insists that Nasib shouldn't be there. "He should never have been detained."
