The Kabul Tribune (KT) — A federal judge in San Diego has ordered the release of a former Afghan interpreter held in U.S. immigration detention for nearly four months, American media reported Friday.
Judge Gonzalo Curiel ordered that Sayed Naser Noori be
released “immediately,” finding that the government had violated his right to
due process. Noori had been in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody
since June 12, when he was arrested after attending a routine immigration
status hearing.
“This is a momentous decision and we are so grateful that
Sayed is finally being released after months of wrongful detention,” said Shawn
VanDiver, president of AfghanEvac, a nonprofit supporting Afghan resettlement.
ICE did not immediately comment on the case, according to
reports.
Noori entered the United States last year through the CBP
One program, a Biden-era immigration pathway later canceled by the Trump
administration. He had requested asylum after fleeing Afghanistan in 2023, following
the killing of his brother by the Taliban. Noori and his brothers had operated
a company that contracted with the U.S., and he had also worked as an
interpreter for the American military, according to his asylum application.
The Department of Homeland Security said in June it had no
evidence Noori worked with the U.S. military. But contracting records reviewed
by KPBS reportedly confirm his employment.
Noori’s surviving brother has also resettled in the United
States and was recently granted asylum. Advocates said Noori is expected to be
released within days and will speak publicly next week.
