Monday Morning Update for September 29, 2021
Good morning and thank you for continuing to follow along on what’s happening in this critical work to support our wartime allies. We’ve got a lot to cover and the highlights are that Sayed was released from ICE detention, we’re at the National Immigration Forum, another American Citizen (SIV) was released from Taliban custody, and we have an action alert for you this week.
We aren’t including a big section on the reported dealmaking on the return of Bagram to U.S. control but we do hope that any negotiations that are ongoing include, as a bare minimum, release of all remaining Americans held captive, progress on women and girls, and a resumption of relocation operations for our allies.
Stand with Sayed
I’m excited to start with good news for the second week in a row. On Friday, one of our Afghan allies, who had been arrested and detained by ICE back in June when he appeared for a routine immigration hearing, was finally released after 106 days in detention. Sayed Naser, who served alongside U.S. forces in Afghanistan for over a decade, entered the U.S. legally via a CBP One appointment last June. Sayed has a pending SIV case and an active asylum case.
After a habeas corpus hearing earlier last week, Judge Gonsalvo Curiel determined that
Sayed was unlawfully placed in expedited removal proceedings while his original case was still pending.
DHS revoked his parole without notice, explanation, or an opportunity to be heard.
The government failed to provide the required written notice of termination for his humanitarian parole.
We are hearing that habeas corpus petitions are one of the few things working in these types of cases — and activists in courts across the country have confirmed that. By sharing the news of Sayed’s release and the success of the habeas petition, we hope that others can follow suit and see similar positive outcomes.
Sayed is happy to be released and finally free, and in a few days will be ready to share more of his story. We’re planning to hold a press conference next week and will update with additional details soon. Thank you to everyone who shared and supported Sayed, and thank you in particular to his immigration lawyer for working so diligently on Sayed’s behalf to get this well-deserved outcome.
We’ll be doing a press conference on Thursday to help Sayed share his story. After the press conference, AfghanEvac will be hosting a get together with Sayed, some Battle Buddies, and more. If you’re in the San Diego region and would like to join, please reply to this email and let me know.
Amir Amiry Released
More good news – SIV-turned-American citizen Amir Amiry was released from Taliban custody over the weekend. We are overjoyed to know that he is safely back home. We hope to hear soon that the other Americans that Taliban has in custody will soon be released, including Mr. Habibi.
National Immigration Forum
AfghanEvac is in Nashville this week for the National Immigration Forum, joining other organizations and individuals who want to see improvements made in our immigration systems. I will be speaking on a panel tomorrow called “No Refuge”, a conversation about the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, which has been suspended globally, putting hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people at risk, including Afghans who served alongside the U.S. mission. We are looking forward to hearing from people from all across the immigration ecosystem at this event.
Asylum Fee Confusion
There’s been a lot of confusion among immigration attorneys on how to interpret and adhere to the new $100 asylum fee that was recently created through the One Big Beautiful Bill. It is unclear who the September 30th deadline for that fee applies to, but some attorneys have interpreted the 9/30 deadline to include anyone who has had a pending asylum application for over a year. In an attempt to ensure compliance with the new rules, some attorneys have filed new asylum claims for their clients, paying the new fee, but attached the receipt number for the existing pending claim. No clear guidance has come from the government as to who must pay and by when. We cannot provide advice or guidance on what an individual in this situation should do, but wanted to flag the issue for awareness.
Battle Buddies Update
The program continues to grow and expand, with multiple actions taking place across the country each week – and seeing success. To date we have not heard of a single instance in which an Afghan was detained at an appointment or hearing where Battle Buddies were present. While we can’t draw direct conclusions from that, we hope our presence is making a difference, especially to our Afghan allies.
If you are a Battle Buddy and interested in becoming an Area Leader, please let me know by responding to this email with your name, city and state, and service background. We are putting together Google groups in places with high concentrations of Battle Buddies.
Action Alert
Right now, tens of thousands of Afghans who stood with America — translators, human rights defenders, women and girls — are stuck in limbo because of the administration’s refugee and travel bans. The Trump administration has indefinitely halted refugee admissions, stranding thousands in limbo.
With the new federal fiscal year beginning October 1, the administration must set a new refugee admissions goal for Fiscal Year 2026. Reports suggest they may sideline Afghans and other already-approved refugees in favor of other political interests like Afrikaners — abandoning those most at risk.
This is urgent. Congress needs to hear from you: America must keep its word. Click here to contact your national, state, and local elected officials TODAY.
What we’re Reading
San Diego judge rules feds denied Afghan interpreters rights, orders his release – Times of San Diego
US evacuation group uncovers Afghan information leak from Brazil – Washington Examiner
Trump travel ban keeps Afghan families separated – Tucson News
Afghanistan’s Bagram airbase: why is Trump desperate to take it back – Al Jazeera
US and Qatar secure release of American citizen Amir Amiry from Afghanistan detention – Fox News
Thanks again folks.
Subject: Urgent Request for Assistance with Visa and Case Processing for an SIV Holder in Afghanistan
To the United States Department of State, the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM),
I am the holder of a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) case. For the past four years, I have remained in Afghanistan in the hope of being able to travel, and my case is now currently at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, ready for the interview.
My request is for the assistance and cooperation of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad. As all travel expenses have been covered by us personally, we also urgently request that the United Nations or IOM intervene and liaise with the Pakistani authorities.
The purpose of this intervention is to request that the Pakistani government grant me a visa to enter Pakistan so that I may attend my scheduled interview. Currently, all avenues seem to be blocked, as the Pakistani government is not issuing visas to anyone, and this presents a major obstacle.
I sincerely hope that you can cooperate with me and assist in resolving this critical issue.
Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.