U.S. detains Afghan interpreter who worked with its forces on terrorism allegations
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has detained a 30-year-old Afghan interpreter and former collaborator with American forces on allegations of providing material support to a terrorist organization, and has also begun deportation proceedings against him. He is also accused of providing false information during his 2019 application for U.S. citizenship.
He has denied the accusations, saying his rights as a U.S. lawful permanent resident have been violated. According to his wife, he was arrested on Wednesday, September 4, as he left home for his morning shower.
St. Louis Public Radio has withheld the man’s identity because of security concerns. According to him, the Taliban authorities could target him and his family members in Afghanistan because of his cooperation with U.S. forces.
U.S. military and government documents shared with the media by the man’s family show that he worked as an interpreter and cultural adviser with U.S. and Afghan forces from 2012 to 2023. Among these documents are recommendation letters from U.S. Army and Marine officers, as well as military intelligence advisers, which emphasize his loyalty and trustworthiness.
According to a 2021 FBI search warrant, made public in March 2025, the U.S. government alleges that the man had ties to Jamaat al-Dawah al-Quran, a group the United States designated a foreign terrorist organization in 2016. The document says he was in contact with members of the group via Facebook, kept encrypted information on a hard drive, and continued to communicate with the founder’s son after arriving in the United States.
The FBI also cited his 2018 trip to Afghanistan as evidence of the alleged links. The man said the purpose of the trip was to visit his family, but the FBI claims images from the trip show him attending an event where the leader of Jamaat al-Dawah al-Quran was speaking.
In a statement, U.S. immigration authorities said that, due to “allegations related to terrorist activity” and “fraudulent entry application,” the man will remain in detention until the case is heard. The agency said holding a green card is a privilege, and that lawful permanent residence can be revoked and the person deported if U.S. laws are violated.
The man said the U.S. government had monitored him for years as a terrorism suspect, but had never filed specific charges against him. He is also one of more than a dozen plaintiffs in a 2023 federal case in which it was alleged that the U.S. government had placed people on terrorist watchlists without sufficient evidence and violated their fundamental rights.
A hearing in the man’s immigration case is scheduled for September 14 at the Kansas City Immigration Court. The U.S. Special Immigrant Visa, or SIV, program was created to relocate people who worked with U.S. forces and institutions in Afghanistan and Iraq.
