Former Afghan interpreter's deportation feared after San Diego ICE arrest

Yahoo

10 hours ago

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A former Afghan interpreter for the U.S. military who is seeking asylum in the United States is now facing possible deportation after being detained by immigration officials earlier this month, sparking outrage among supporters who say he should be treated as an ally, not a criminal.
Sayed Naser was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on June 12 following a mandatory immigration hearing at the federal courthouse in downtown San Diego. He has been held at the Otay Mesa Detention Center ever since.
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Naser, who worked with American forces in Afghanistan, is among the growing number of asylum seekers caught up in the Trump administration's crackdown on undocumented immigrants. Advocates warn that returning him to Afghanistan could be a death sentence, given his work with the U.S. military and the threat posed by the Taliban.
On Thursday, a federal immigration judge approved a motion to dismiss Naser's case — a move VanDiver said may sound favorable but could actually strip Naser of his opportunity to formally claim asylum.
'You would think a motion to dismiss is a good thing, but it's not in this case,' said Shawn VanDiver, a representative of AfghanEvac and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. 'It means that his notice to appear was dismissed, along with his defense of asylum.'
VanDiver said recent changes in federal immigration policy, including a Supreme Court ruling allowing the administration to redirect asylum seekers to third countries regardless of conditions there, are compounding Naser's legal peril.
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'Now they've put him into expedited removal proceedings,' VanDiver said. 'All that stands between him and deportation to anywhere in the world that President Trump decides, thanks to the Supreme Court ruling this week, is a credible fear interview.'
Naser must now convince an asylum officer that he faces a real threat of harm if deported — and he must do so without legal representation, as attorneys are not allowed in that phase of the process. If the officer finds his fear credible, he may be allowed to pursue asylum. If not, he could be deported within days.
'The best-case scenario is he passes his credible fear interview, and gets an expedited asylum interview, get's his asylum, and can request his green card in a year, and he's safe — and then his family can come here too,' VanDiver said.
It remains unclear when Naser's interview will take place. Until then, he remains in federal custody, awaiting a decision that could determine whether he finds asylum or deportation.
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