Latest news with #SpecialImmigrantVisa
CBS News
4 hours ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Afghan interpreter who rescued U.S. officer's life during the war says America broke its promise to allies
Dewey Yopp, a retired U.S. Army Special Forces officer, was sent to Afghanistan in 2002 to train up a new Afghan army during the early days of the war in Afghanistan. He met Amir, his then-18-year-old Afghan translator, at the airport on his first day there, and says Amir went on to save his life four times. "Amir dragged me, under fire, to a medevac point," Yopp told CBS News of one of those instances. After the U.S. withdrew from the country in 2021, Yopp scrambled to get Amir a special immigrant visa for Afghan allies. Amir asked CBS News to conceal his real name for safety reasons. "If someone saves your life, your souls are bound together for eternity," Yopp said. "He's like a son to me, really." Three years later, Amir's visa was approved, and he and his family were given green cards. They came to the U.S. and settled in Kentucky, reuniting with Yopp 22 years after they first met in Afghanistan. Yopp now spends most days with Amir's children, who call him "grandfather." Thousands of Afghans living in the U.S. now fear deportation after a federal appeals court late Monday refused to freeze the Trump administration's efforts to end their legal status. Amir is a Special Immigrant Visa recipient, given to U.S. allies who helped during the war. Despite he and his family having green cards, he still fears being sent back, since the White House has threatened to deport green card holders, too. Amir risked Taliban retaliation to help American soldiers, because work in Afghanistan at the time was scarce and the prospect of safety abroad was enticing. He told CBS News the promise that was made to him in return for risking his life was, "Your family will go to America. This was promised with all who work with U.S." Amir said he went into hiding for years after his service, feeling betrayed by the U.S., until Yopp stepped in to fulfill America's pledge and helped secure him his visa. Thousands of veterans of the Afghanistan war across the country have taken it upon themselves to help their translators and other Afghan allies come safely to the U.S. and settle here. But Amir says it is not the job of veterans to fulfill the vow of protection the government previously made to them. The Trump administration has repeatedly targeted Afghan refugees, stopping flights with Afghan allies from arriving, freezing resettlement services, putting Afghanistan on the travel ban list, and ending the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program for Afghan refugees. Yopp says it is a "moral injury" to veterans to see this happen to those who helped them during the war. As part of the administration's efforts to end the TPS program, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has claimed that Afghanistan is now safe for Afghans to return to, a point Amir disputes. "OK, if Afghanistan is safe, why are you saying to your citizens, 'Do not go to Afghanistan?'" Amir said in reference to the State Department's "Do Not Travel" advisory for Afghanistan. "For me, [it's] safe, but for you, [it's] not safe? I'm not sure." Amir fears that even as a green card holder, he and his family may be sent back, since the White House has threatened to deport green card holders, too. These days, he works two jobs, seven days a week, to support his family. He says he only got by in the past because of the $500 a month that Yopp, who is retired, would give him. "It's been a slap in the face, really, to see the programs that were in effect, to be taken away," Yopp said. Amir added: "Americans should not make a promise with Afghans, and now [you're] making a problem for them. Then why [did] you make [that] promise?"
Indian Express
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Afghan man helped US military against Taliban, almost got a green card. Then, immigration officials came for him
A 35-year-old Afghan translator who aided American troops during the war in Afghanistan has been detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Connecticut, in a move that has sparked bipartisan outrage and raised questions about the Trump administration's treatment of wartime allies. Identified as Zia S, the man entered the US legally in October 2024 on a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) and humanitarian parole. He was arrested last week after attending a routine biometrics appointment for his green card in East Hartford, according to his attorney and multiple officials. He is currently being held at a detention facility in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Zia, a father of five, fled Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover in 2021. His visa was part of a US programme meant to protect foreign nationals who risked their lives to support US military operations abroad. 'This is the worst kind of abhorrent violation of basic decency,' said Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) in a statement quoted by The Guardian. 'He actually worked and risked his life in Afghanistan to uphold the values and rights that are central to democracy.' Congresswoman Jahana Hayes, also from Connecticut, said Zia's family had been left in the dark. 'Our credibility is at stake. We have families who have risked everything not just for themselves, but for their entire family … in the name of standing up for the promises of our American democracy,' Hayes told The Guardian. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told Reuters that Zia is under investigation for a 'serious criminal allegation,' though no specifics have been made public. His lawyer, Lauren Petersen, said she has no knowledge of any charges. 'Zia has done everything right. He's followed the rules. He has no criminal history,' she said. 'If he is deported … he faces death.' A federal judge has issued a temporary stay on his deportation, but Zia remains in custody. Zia is the third known Afghan ally to be detained by ICE since Donald Trump returned to office. More than 70,000 Afghans were brought into the US under President Biden's 'Operation Allies Welcome,' but many still face legal limbo. The Trump administration has also moved to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nationals from countries including Afghanistan, Haiti, and Venezuela, despite ongoing unrest in those regions.
American Military News
2 days ago
- American Military News
Video: Plane engine fire forces emergency landing in Los Angeles
A Delta A350 767 commercial aircraft rests during Operation Allies Refuge at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Aug. 24, 2021. This is the first time Delta Airlines is transporting evacuees from Ramstein to more permanent resettlement locations as part of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet for Operation Allies Refuge. Team Ramstein is providing safe, temporary lodging for evacuees from Afghanistan. Operation Allies Refuge is facilitating the quick, safe evacuation of U.S. citizens, Special Immigrant Visa applicants and other at-risk Afghans from Afghanistan. Evacuees receive support, such as temporary lodging, food and water and access to medical care as well as religious care at Ramstein Air Base while preparing for onward movements to their final locations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Milton Hamilton)
The Hill
06-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Trump's treatment of immigrants is harmful, immoral, un-American
In May, an 18-year-old named Marcelo Gomez, who has lived in the U.S. on an expired visa since he was 7, was arrested on his way to a volleyball game in Milford, Mass. During his six days in detention, Marcelo was unable to change his clothes. He slept on a concrete floor and shared a toilet with 35 to 40 other men. In June, 48-year-old Narcisco Barranco, an undocumented immigrant with no criminal record who was working as a gardener in Santa Ana, Calif., was pinned to the pavement and repeatedly hit in the head by four masked Customs and Border Patrol agents. After a formal request by the Mexican Consulate General in Los Angeles, Barranco received medical attention for his wounds and a heart condition. One of his three sons — all of whom served in the U.S. Marines — rebutted Trump administration claims that Barranco had attempted to assault officers with his weed trimmer, and said that if he had treated someone in this way when he was in uniform, 'it would have been a war crime.' Around the same time, Sayed Naser was detained by ICE agents following a hearing on his Special Immigrant Visa application and placed in an expedited removal facility in San Diego. A civilian interpreter who had worked with U.S. troops in Afghanistan, Naser fled to Brazil after the Taliban had killed his brother and abducted his father during a family wedding. Naser subsequently traveled 6,000 miles to Mexico on foot and was granted parole into the U.S. while seeking asylum. In May, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem terminated Temporary Protected Status for Afghans, putting 11,000 of them at risk of deportation. If Naser, who does not have a criminal record, fails to pass his 'credible threat' interview, which will be conducted over the telephone without his lawyer, he will almost certainly be deported. His wife and children remain in hiding. A few days ago, Kilmar Abrego Garcia stated in a legal filing that he had been beaten and tortured in the notoriously brutal Salvadoran prison which the Department of Justice deported him to by mistake. These cases provide compelling evidence that the Trump administration's detention and deportation polices conflict with the traditions, values and 'do unto others' sense of fairness and decency of a nation of immigrants. Of the 59,000 immigrants now in detention, over 70 percent were arrested in the interior of the U.S., not at or near the border. Forty-seven percent have no criminal convictions; of those who do, the most common crimes are violations of immigration and traffic laws. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has so far apprehended only 6 percent of known immigrant murderers and 11 percent of immigrants convicted of sexual assault. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt — apparently unaware that living in the U.S. as an undocumented immigrant is a civil, not a criminal offense (except for those apprehended while crossing the border) — told reporters that everyone arrested by ICE is a criminal 'because they illegally broke our nation's laws.' In fact, the immigrant population, both documented and undocumented, commit crimes at a lower rate than native-born citizens. In Texas, undocumented immigrants are 47 percent less likely to be convicted of a crime than those who were born here. Facilities housing detainees are often grotesquely overcrowded. Medication is not always provided, detainees can spend a week between showers, and family members are not always told where their loved ones are. According to Paul Chavez, director at Americans for Immigrant Justice in Florida, 'conditions were never great, but this is horrendous.' Between Jan. 1, 2025 and late June, 10 immigrants died while in ICE custody, two of them by suicide, almost three times the rate while Joe Biden was president. Last week, two detainees were added to the list. One of them, Isidro Perez, was a 75-year-old Cuban immigrant, who came to America 59 years ago and was convicted of possession of a controlled substance in 1984. Law enforcement officials are required to identify themselves when making an arrest 'as soon as it is practical and safe to do so,' indicate their authority to detain the suspect and obey restrictions on searches and seizures. But federal laws don't stipulate the circumstances under which government officials can wear masks. Although President Trump has called for the immediate arrest of masked protesters, Homeland Security officials defend masks as necessary to protect ICE agents from retaliation. Critics point out that masks and plain clothes increase the likelihood that suspects will mistake law enforcement officers for criminals and make it more difficult to hold agents accountable for using excessive force. 'What other definition of secret police is there,' Boston Mayor Michelle Wu asked, 'when people are getting snatched off the streets by masked individuals, not being told where they're going, disappeared until somehow someone finds some information?' Although Americans continue to support secure borders, a recent poll revealed that 57 percent of them do not approve of Trump's handling of immigration and ICE tactics. Perhaps for this reason, Trump has tried to have it both ways on immigration. During his 2024 campaign, he promised to arrest 'the worst first.' Last month, Trump declared, 'all of them [i.e. '21 million Illegal Aliens'] have to go home, as do countless other Illegals and Criminals, who will turn us into a bankrupt Third World Nation.' Yet Trump also said that employers feared that 'our very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, long-time workers away from them, with their jobs being almost impossible to replace.' Vowing to 'get the CRIMINALS OUT OF THE USA,' Trump indicated he would pause ICE raids on farms, meatpacking plants, hotels and restaurants. But Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of public affairs at DHS, quickly declared, 'The president has been incredibly clear. There will be no safe spaces for industries who harbor violent criminals or purposely try to undermine ICE's efforts.' It remains unclear at this writing whether Trump will order a pause. Meanwhile, the number of detainees and deportees keeps growing — as do reports of denials of due process and access to legal representation. Rep. Tony Gonzalez (R-Texas) and five other congressional Republicans have called on the administration to prioritize enforcement: 'Every minute that we spend pursuing an individual with a clean record is a minute less that we dedicate to apprehending terrorists or cartel operatives.' How low do poll numbers have to sink, and how many more employers will have to pressure the White House, before the president decides his approach to immigration is bad policy and bad politics? Glenn C. Altschuler is the Thomas and Dorothy Litwin Emeritus Professor of American Studies at Cornell University.
The Hill
02-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Trump's ‘big beautiful bill' will make the immigration court mess even worse
Recently, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested Sayed Naser, an Afghan man who had spent years translating for the U.S. military, as he left an immigration court hearing in San Diego. Naser had done everything we ask of those seeking safe harbor in the U.S. When Taliban fighters killed his brother and abducted his father from a family wedding for working with the U.S., Naser and his family fled to Brazil, then made the long and dangerous trek here on foot. In 2024, he made an appointment with U.S. Customs and Border Protection as he entered the country. There, government officials paroled Naser into the U.S., where he applied for asylum and a Special Immigrant Visa created for foreign nationals who work with the U.S. in a war zone. On June 11, 2025, Naser went to his first hearing before an immigration judge, as was required for his asylum application. When he arrived, however, a lawyer for the Department of Homeland Security claimed that his case had been 'improvidently issued.' Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents waiting outside the courtroom handcuffed him. He is now in immigration detention, and his wife and children are in hiding. Although shocking, Naser's case is sadly no longer unusual. Since May, as part of their effort to meet a 3,000 person per day quota, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents across the country have been arresting hundreds of people as they leave their immigration hearings. Arresting people in and around courthouses used to be largely off limits — and for good reason. Such practices mean that immigrants face an impossible choice: go to court to follow the law and apply for immigration or asylum status legally — and face possible arrest there and then, or fail to appear, give up your legal claims to asylum or a green card, and have the judge order deportation in your absence. There is another, much less visible way that immigrants' access to the courts is now in peril as well. If Trump's budget reconciliation bill passes as written, immigrants and asylum seekers like Naser will face exorbitant fees that will prevent almost everyone from having their day in court. Under the bill, people paroled into the United States would have to pay a $1,000 fee upon entering plus a $550 work authorization fee. To renew or extend parole — which people would have to do at least every six months — there would be an additional $550 fee. Then, to apply for asylum, there would be another $1,000 fee. And if an applicant needed more time to find a lawyer or to collect documents, the court would charge another $100 for each continuance the person requested in court. Similar fees would apply for people applying for other kinds of status, including for youth traveling alone and for people fleeing countries decimated by war or natural disasters. Naser — who walked to the U.S. on foot from Brazil — almost certainly does not have thousands of dollars to apply for asylum. Neither most other immigrants and asylum seekers. These fees would effectively deny access to the courts for all but the very wealthy. Arresting people as they try to do the right thing by going through our legal system — and charging them such high fees that no one can afford to go to court — undermines the rule of law that is the bedrock of our country. Due process, which is enshrined in the Fifth and 14th amendments to the Constitution, requires that the government prove its case in court and give individuals the right to be heard before it can deprive them of life, liberty or property. Due process protects not only the rights of immigrants (or citizens mistaken as immigrants) from unfair deportation, but it also requires the government to prove its case against someone before imprisoning them, to go to court before taking someone's property or benefits, and to hold a hearing before removing a person's child. Courts play an essential role in our society. Their purpose is to ensure that everyone is treated fairly under the law and insist that the government follows fair procedures. They place a critical check on abuses of power by the executive and legislative branches. When due process breaks down and people can no longer access immigration courts — whether for fear of what will happen when they appear or simply because the price tag to access justice is too high — that will further stoke fear in immigrant communities and dissuade people from asserting their rights in court. But it should also strike fear in all of us because when access to justice is threatened for some, it is a threat to our entire system of justice, which is a grave threat to us all. Lauren Jones is the Legal and Policy Director at the National Center for Access to Justice at Fordham Law School
