Afghan refugee who assisted U.S. army overseas caught in Texas detention centre

An Afghan soldier who served the U.S. military overseas was compelled to flee Afghanistan or be killed by the Taliban.

The predicament grew to become so dire that his previous vacation resort was to head to South America and make the hazardous journey to illegally cross by the U.S.-Mexico border.

Ahmad Majeed arrived in Texas back in September and has been held in the Eden Detention Heart at any time considering that. His sister lives in Tempe and is a refugee herself.

She’s now desperately striving to get him unveiled and all charges dropped.

Majeed is an intelligence officer for the Afghan Countrywide Military Military services Air Brigade. He fled, fearing the Taliban would destroy him due to the fact he had presented information and facts to the U.S. navy even though also safeguarding, defending and performing alongside American soldiers.

For additional than a calendar year, he claims he hid underground and in the mountains making use of for crisis visas to several countries like the U.S., but only listened to again from Brazil.

From Brazil, he suggests he traveled up by means of South The united states to Texas, exactly where he illegally crossed and surrendered himself to border patrol agents. Hoping, due to the fact he worked with the U.S., that they would choose care of him.

Regrettably, he is been detained ever due to the fact.

‘It’s getting even worse day by day’

“I just want my brother to be absolutely free, and he warrants to dwell in peace and contentment. So I can also be pleased and his good friends and loved ones, we all can be delighted. I will be so glad if they release him as soon as possible,” Daryaa Majeed, his sister, explained.

Daryaa hasn’t viewed her brother in several years – at any time since she fled Afghanistan subsequent the withdrawal of U.S. forces in August 2021.

“Not only is he suffering, we all are. His good friends, relatives, we all are suffering with this. And we really do not know how to arrive more than of this scenario,” she reported. “I am unfortunate for my house nation. It is really genuinely thoroughly improved. It truly is distinct. I simply cannot think about myself to live anymore in there or go back there because it will be, for me, it’s a prison suitable now.”

She managed to get on an evacuation flight out of Kabul, dodging explosions and gunfire. She was taken to a military base for refugees in Wisconsin and soon just after, Arizona Condition University supplied her and 61 other refugee females scholarships to occur and begin a new existence in Arizona. 

Although she escaped and is now safe, the only matter on her intellect is her brother.

“It can be receiving even worse day by day and even distracts me with my scientific studies and my jobs and almost everything even however I am pleased for myself. I am below cost-free, and I am continuing my training, but I can’t focus thoroughly. I simply cannot love my lifetime. I just want my brother to be right here with me, with us to be with each other, and he ought to start out his daily life peacefully,” Daryaa explained.

‘I just saved my life to occur here’

Majeed spoke with FOX 10 from within the Eden Detention Center in Texas.

“I didn’t do any criminal offense. I just saved my life to appear here,” he said. “I did a great deal of email messages. The only place that replied, it was Brazil, so I don’t have any other option, so that is why I went to Brazil …”

He imagined American authorities would assist him immediately after he assisted them.

“I occur across to America because I was acknowledged … I worked with Us citizens, so they could sense my ache and my sorrow improved than other people since they have been doing the occupation with me.”

Majeed claims he is the only Afghan in the detention heart.

Court docket files affirm Majeed was apprehended by a border patrol agent on September 30, 2022, in the vicinity of Eagle Go, Texas for failure to comply with reporting demands when moving into the U.S.

He states he has limited entry to the shared cellular phone but can typically simply call his sister and relatives good friend, Nathaly Correa, in Tempe once a working day.

“Sometimes when he does not connect with I get very afraid for his safety. He had pointed out obtaining immediate threats inside the detention middle by some area gang customers. He became the goal. They really don’t have confidence in him. He is navy,” Correa said.

Majeed was provided a misdemeanor demand and pled responsible. He states he surrendered himself when he crossed the border and was ready with as several authorized documents he could get, besides a U.S. visa.

“So I bought all the things when I appear initially to The us. When I entered from Eagle Go I experienced all my original files to prove that I am an military officer,” he claimed.

From there, the federal decide in Texas scheduled a sentencing hearing for Sept. 27 – six months from now and a calendar year because he was initial detained.

“All people today are coming below with illegally crossing, but they are obtaining out in a few months, in four months. They are retaining me in this article six months, and I am not understanding what is the rationale for this. I am inquiring for equal rights,” Majeed reported.

‘It’s taken a toll on his mental and actual physical health’

Correa talks about how she and liked ones offer with his scenario.

“We have combined emotions, we cry a great deal, we pray a good deal, we get sad, from time to time we get anger since we are not able to have an understanding of why he is likely by means of this,” she stated.

She and his sister say they’ve fatigued just about every avenue. They’ve asked for support from politicians, influencers, non-profit organizations and humanitarian organizations. All primary to a lifeless stop.

They’ve hired an legal professional who they say submitted an asylum application.

Majeed did not acquire this journey by yourself. He claims his pal and fellow Afghan officer, Abdul Wasi Safi, traveled with him from Afghanistan.

“He crossed with another officer, exact same working day, exact time. The officer who traveled with him was from the exact same state, identical actual qualifications and exact precise prices nevertheless this officer, many thanks to God, he was unveiled about a month and a half ago or so. He was launched, and his prices ended up dropped,” Correa explained.

Safi’s lawyer filed a motion asking a federal judge in Del Rio, Texas to dismiss the immigration cost for Safi. The judge granted that request, liberating him and producing all his prices to be dropped.

Safi has since been reunited with his brother in Houston – all when Majeed stays in custody.

“We are just hoping that, and we are just requesting that the U.S. government, Texas, the court docket and the decide to release my brother,” Daryaa said.

For now, though he waits in the Eden Detention Centre, Correa claims it’s taken a toll on his mental and actual physical well being. She suggests Majeed has requested health-related consideration for injuries attained throughout his journey and although in custody, they say these requests had been denied. He’s also obtaining issue practicing his faith, he suggests.

“He was requesting to have a Holy Quran and that was denied as well,” Correa reported.

FOX 10 arrived at out to Majeed’s legal professional, the Office of Homeland Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the U.S. Marshals Company, and the judge overseeing his case for remark and info but have not however heard back. 

We also achieved out to the U.S. Attorney’s Place of work in West Texas who declined to job interview.