They risked their lives alongside American soldiers. They underwent years of security vetting. They followed every rule and filled out every form. Now, Afghan allies who helped the U.S. military are being swept up in immigration enforcement actions. They are being detained without warning, separated from their children, and in at least one devastating case, dying in federal custody.

International Institute of Los Angeles (IILA) serves hundreds of such clients across Southern California, and we are bearing witness to what happens when enforcement actions fail to distinguish between a genuine threat and a loyal ally. While the vast majority of IILA Afghan clients have been granted asylum, approximately 178 are still awaiting decisions on their green card applications while the government continues to pause green card processing. These lawfully admitted allies are now at risk of being detained simply for not having a green card, all while the government refuses to process green cards and grant them added security. Beyond IILA cases, thousands of Afghan nationals across the country without permanent status are in legal limbo through no fault of their own. 

Our allies who were vetted, complied with immigration requirements, and built lives here in good faith must not be targeted. And, Afghan nationals who have documented military service, pending asylum cases, or valid work authorization should be exempt from removal proceedings. America must honor the promise made to our allies rather than punishing them for failing to be further along in immigration processes that the government itself has closed off to them.

The following cases, drawn from IILA’s direct client work and the larger national landscape, illustrate the human cost of these enforcement failures and why the systemic conditions that enable them must urgently change. 

In the early morning hours of February 23, 2026, Amir, an IILA Afghan client, parked his commercial truck at a Travel Center in Indio, California. The stop was part of his usual routine before he made his way from California to the Arizona border, a route he had made without incident for over a year. However, on that morning, Border Patrol agents approached him and a fellow truck driver and asked both if they were citizens. His colleague, a naturalized U.S. citizen, showed his passport and was released immediately. Amir showed his asylum approval and mentioned his pending green card application but was detained anyway. His supervisor intervened on his behalf through a phone call facilitated by his colleague, confirming the client’s clean driving and criminal record and his status as one of the company’s top drivers. But agents claimed their system showed his application had been “denied,” a perplexing claim given his granted asylum and his pending adjustment of status application. Agents also knew that he had no criminal record in the US.  

For roughly 36 hours, his legal team was unable to confirm his location through ICE’s locator portal, and Border Patrol refused to verify his whereabouts or facilitate contact with legal counsel despite being provided documentation of his asylum approval and pending application. It was learned later through Amir that, while in custody, he was transported four times to different detention facilities before finally being released on February 24th. He was ultimately released and picked up by IILA’s Director of Refugee Outreach/Support, attorney Cynthia Hernandez. IILA now plans to file a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain records from Border Patrol and ICE to establish a clear timeline and understand the basis for his unlawful arrest. 

Thankfully, Amir was released physically unharmed and reunited with his family. Out in Texas, however, another family’s story unfolded very differently.

On March 13, 2026, at about 7 am, Mohammad Nazeer Paktyawal, 41, was outside his apartment preparing to drive his children to school in Richardson, Texas, when eight masked individuals with no badges in unmarked SUVs surrounded and detained him in front of his children. His children were screaming for help. 

He had served alongside U.S. Army Special Forces in Afghanistan for more than a decade beginning in 2005, was evacuated to the U.S. under Operation Allies Welcome in 2021, and was granted work authorization while his pending asylum case was being reviewed at the time of his warrantless arrest. When questioned about his legal status, he offered to show the masked individuals documentation confirming his legal right to remain in the country through 2029 but they did not release him.

That evening, Paktyawal called his family from ICE custody saying he felt unwell. Hours later he was transported to Parkland Hospital with chest pain and shortness of breath. The following morning, his tongue swelled severely during breakfast, and, despite resuscitation efforts, he was pronounced dead at 9:10 a.m. on March 14, less than 24 hours after his arrest.

The cause of death remains unknown, but information from the family indicates that Mr. Paktyawal may have relied on an inhaler to breathe. His wife reports that, at the time of his arrest, she informed ICE agents of his need for an inhaler, but they did not accept it, and did not allow her to provide it to him later when he was in custody. 

ICE publicly labeled him a “criminal illegal alien,” citing two prior arrests, though neither were violent offenses nor had resulted in a conviction. The agency also claimed there was “no record” of his military service, despite the existence of a U.S. Army Special Forces certificate thanking him for his sacrifice. According to lawmakers, Paktyawal is among at least 43 people to die in ICE custody under the current administration. He was a father of six; his youngest child is 18 months old and a US citizen.

Despite having partnered with US military forces in Afghanistan and forced to flee after the fall of Kabul in 2021 for fear of reprisal from the Taliban, Afghans in the US now find themselves in fear and at risk of unlawful detentions and arrests and even death. But this time, they are being targeted by Border Patrol and ICE. Over 76,000 Afghans were airlifted to the U.S. under Operation Allies Welcome, the vast majority were granted humanitarian parole, which is a temporary status with no direct path to citizenship. The Afghan Adjustment Act, which would have provided that path, was never passed. Meanwhile, the current administration has terminated Temporary Protected Status for Afghans, closed the SIV program to new applicants, expanded the travel ban to include Afghan nationals, and paused asylum decisions.

America asked Afghan allies to trust us. They did. They served. They came here legally and waited patiently. Amir trusted this country. He was pulled off the road from his job, away from his children. Mohammad Nazeer Paktyawal trusted this country. He died in its custody. Their cases must not be the norm. We must push Congressional leaders to do everything in their power to instill safeguards for Afghan newcomers before more of our allies tragically become our victims. Contact your federal elected officials today to urge them to end unjust immigration enforcement for our Afghan allies and put guardrails in place for their protection.