An Afghan national who worked as a translator for the U.S. military was seized by armed and masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and bundled out of his adopted home state.
The interpreter, identified only as Zia, was detained by immigration agents during a routine appointment related to obtaining a green card in East Hartford, Connecticut. He was then taken to an immigration detention center in Massachusetts, CT Insider reported.
Zia, who was living in the U.S. legally, is now under threat of deportation back to Afghanistan, a country he fled because he feared he would be tortured or killed by the ruling Taliban.
At a Tuesday press conference, Democratic lawmakers and Zia’s lawyer called for the immediate release of the interpreter who spent years aiding American troops in Afghanistan.
“What happened to him is the worst kind of abhorrent violation of basic decency,” Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal said, via Reuters. “He actually worked and risked his life in Afghanistan to uphold the values and rights that are central to democracy.”
Zia entered the U.S. in October 2024 on a special visa and a humanitarian parole scheme introduced by President Joe Biden for those at risk fleeing Iraq and Afghanistan. Zia had left his home country after the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan following the chaotic U.S. troop withdrawal in 2021, towards the end of Biden’s first year in office.
“This isn’t just about one person,” Massachusetts Rep. Bill Keating said during Tuesday’s press conference. “It’s about thousands of people.”
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, alleges that Zia entered the country illegally and is also under investigation for a “serious criminal allegation,” without specifying further.
His lawyer, Lauren Petersen, disputes that claim, stating that Zia’s visa had not even expired when he was detained by ICE on July 16. Petersen said the agency took steps to immediately remove him from the country without due process. A judge has issued a temporary stay blocking Zia’s immediate deportation, Reuters reported, but he remains under detention in Massachusetts.
“Zia’s done everything right,” Petersen said, via CT Insider. “He’s followed the rules. He has no criminal history.”
In its statement about Zia, a DHS spokesperson added: “All of his claims will be heard by a judge. Any Afghan who fears persecution is able to request relief.”
The DHS did not immediately respond to a request for further comment from the Daily Beast.
