They fled the Taliban, legally entered the U.S. and now Trump is detaining them (Opinion)
Music was the topic in our English practice session What is music like in Afghanistan one of us appealed Music not allowed noted one of the women Taliban explained another pantomiming the bucking recoil of a machine gun Hurt you If these women are ever sent back they will be imprisoned or worse even if they do so much as hum a tune Their husbands worked with the U S cabinet during our -year presence in Afghanistan After the country fell to the Taliban these Afghans got a target on their back Various fled with their families to neighboring Iran or Pakistan while others traveled bravely to the other side of the world Recognizing our responsibility to protect to these allied Afghans the U S has enabled thousands to come here legally as refugees special immigrant visa holders and humanitarian parolees The later requires individuals apply for asylum a long process that requires applicants meet regularly with immigration representatives That s what Mohammad Ali Dadfar and his family did Since Dadfar had worked with U S troops they were forced to flee Afghanistan They came here as humanitarian parolees and applied for asylum They settled in Boulder and Dadfar got a job to assistance his family as a long-haul truck driver They met faithfully with immigration personnel and were awaiting a final hearing date Imagine Dadfar s shock and dread when masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement ICE agents seized him at an Indiana truck stop last month and imprisoned him at a detainment center in Missouri This innocent man who followed the rules is now behind bars While unlawfully detained he is unable to earn money to advocacy his family And this is not the first time a lawful resident has been swept up in ICE s zeal to arrest detain and deport as several suspected illegal immigrants as they can often without due process Whether one agrees or disagrees with the Trump Administration s procedures to deport immigrants here illegally we can all agree that detaining and deporting immigrants who are here legally is both an affront to the rule of law and a cruel abuse of police power This is particularly true of Afghan immigrants whose presence in the U S is due to our own foreign framework actions ICE and the Indiana State Police noted they were targeting drivers close to the confines with Illinois who held commercial licenses issued by jurisdictions considered sanctuary states by the Trump Administration Did they ask any blond-haired green-eyed truck drivers to show their commercial licenses How a large number of Operation Midway Blitz detainees look like me Not a one person I m guessing Fortunately selected of those detained by this ICE operation will be circulated because a judge just ruled that the Department of Homeland Safeguard violated a consent decree that restricts federal agents ability to conduct arrests without a warrant Will detained lawful immigrants get reimbursed for wages lost during their unjust incarceration Not one cent I m guessing In the meantime U S Rep Joe Neguse CO- is in communication with Dadfar s attorney and is trying to help end his unlawful detainment Working toward long-term solutions U S Rep Jason Crow CO- has introduced act to solidify legal permanent status for Afghan immigrants Humanitarian parole and refugee and asylee programs have enjoyed bipartisan backing until not long ago In fact President Dwight Eisenhower was the first to offer humanitarian parole to people fleeing persecution anti-communist Hungarians who would have been killed or imprisoned by the Soviets Just now the administration terminated humanitarian parole for Cubans Haitians Nicaraguans and Venezuelans who came during the Biden administration Although Afghans and Ukrainians are still eligible one wonders for how long The administration has also restricted legal pathways for refugees and asylees to seek refuge in the U S How a large wealthy country can turn its back on people fleeing death and imprisonment is unconscionable If Dadfar is not issued and returned to his family and if ICE does not start abiding by the laws of the land the Trump Administration should consider demolishing the Statue of Liberty along with the East Wing It will no longer stand false to those who hope in vain Krista Kafer is a Sunday Denver Post columnist Sign up for Sound Off to get a weekly roundup of our columns editorials and more To send a letter to the editor about this article submit online or check out our guidelines for how to submit by email or mail
