He Helped American Soldiers in Afghanistan. Now He's in ICE Detention

Newsweek

6 hours ago

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Federal agents detained a former U.S. Army interpreter from Afghanistan, forced to flee his home country because of the Taliban, at his asylum hearing in California last week.
The arrest at an immigration court in San Diego on Thursday was caught on video, with Sayed Naser heard calmly telling the masked agents detaining him that he worked as an interpreter in his home country.
Newsweek reached out to Naser's attorney and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for comment via contact form and email Wednesday morning.
Why It Matters
Afghans who worked with the U.S. military during its 20-year stretch in the country were welcomed to the U.S. as refugees, on Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) following the U.S. withdrawal in 2021, but some have had TPS withdrawn by the Trump administration, opening them up to the prospect of deportation.
Sayed Naser is arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at a courthouse in San Diego on June 12, 2025.
Sayed Naser is arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at a courthouse in San Diego on June 12, 2025.
AfghanEvac
What To Know
Naser was legally paroled into the U.S. in 2024, per immigration documents shared with Newsweek, having applied for asylum using the Biden-era CBP One app and entering via the San Ysidro port of entry on the southwest border.
The interpreter, who worked with the U.S. military for about three years, had a pending SIV application, wanting to stay in the U.S. out of fear he would be detained, tortured and killed should he return to Afghanistan. His brother was killed by the Taliban in 2023, while his father was abducted.
"While collaborating with U.S. forces, I faced numerous threats and attacks," Naser wrote in his declaration to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). "Several times, I narrowly escaped harm, but over seven of our vehicles were burned by the Taliban.
"To them, anyone or any company working with foreign forces is considered an infidel and a legitimate target for killing. For this reason, after the fall [of the] government, it became impossible for us to live in Afghanistan. We had to leave the country by any means necessary."
Naser's story is similar to many who had helped American troops and were left behind during the chaotic U.S. withdrawal in 2021. He first traveled to Brazil before making the journey north to the U.S.-Mexico border via the notorious Darien Gap.
On Thursday, Naser had his immigration court hearing in San Diego, but the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) attorney reportedly said that his case was "'improvidently issued," giving Naser and his attorney, Brian McGoldrick, 10 days to respond.
McGoldrick said at a briefing Tuesday that an asylum hearing was set for September and court was adjourned. Outside the courtroom, ICE agents were waiting and demanded to know Naser's name.
When agents asked McGoldrick for documents, he said in the video that he had none for them. Agents then moved to take Naser, placing him in handcuffs as he turned to the camera.
"I worked with the U.S. military back in my home country, I have all the documents, I didn't have a credible-fear interview," Naser said, repeatedly saying he worked with the U.S. military before agents took him away to the Otay Mesa Detention Center.
Naser's arrest was denounced by the group Unite for Veterans, which said that the U.S. had a responsibility to protect Afghan allies. The advocacy group #AfghanEvac also called out the federal government for breaking its promise to those who served alongside U.S. troops.
ICE has increased its detention efforts at immigration courts across the country, amid pressure from the White House to reach a daily arrest target of 3,000 immigrants.
What People Are Saying
Brian McGoldrick, Naser's attorney, at a press briefing Tuesday: "It's really shocking what's happening in the courthouse in San Diego and around the country. You walk down the hall and it's like you're walking down executioner's row...It's just so intimidating. The clients are terrorized."
#AfghanEvac, in a statement shared with Newsweek: "Let's be clear: "Improvidently issued" is being abused. It has no standard meaning, no transparency, and no accountability. It is being weaponized to short-circuit due process and to meet quiet enforcement quotas. And Sayed is not alone. This is part of a broader pattern: quietly shutting doors, denying pathways, and undermining the very mechanisms we created to keep our promises to our allies."
Unite for Veterans, in a press release: "Our Afghan allies protected us when we needed them. They shared our humvees. They were wounded with us. They gave their lives to protect us. Now it is our turn to look after them. We owe them. They are our teammates, our fellow soldiers, patriots. We cannot let those who risked their lives for our shared values be denied the safety and opportunity they deserve and that we promised them."
What Happens Next
Naser remains in custody and is awaiting further hearings. ICE has not commented on the case.