Afghan soldier seeks asylum after arrest at US-Mexico border
An Afghan soldier seeking asylum in the U.S. has been jailed at an immigrant detention center in Texas since he was arrested trying to cross the Mexico border HOUSTON -- Abdul Wasi Safi kept documents detailing his time as an Afghan soldier who worked with the U.S. military close to him as he made the monthslong, treacherous journey from Brazil to the U.S.-Mexico border. He fled Afghanistan fearing retribution from the Taliban following the August 2021 American withdrawal, and hoped the paperwork would secure his asylum in the U.S. Despite thick jungles, raging rivers and beatings, he kept those documents safe. But after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border near Eagle Pass, Texas, in September, Wasi Safi was arrested on a federal immigration charge. He remains jailed at a detention center in Eden, Texas, and fears his asylum claim may be denied. Wasi Safi's brother, attorneys, Military organizations and a bipartisan group of lawmakers working to free him say his case highlights how Ame...