He served alongside American soldiers, sought asylum, he now sits in prison
With the Taliban hunting him, Wasi came to America, after crossing the border he was detained and now faces the unknown.
Wasi’s story began in 2018 when he joined Afghanistan’s special forces and helped U.S. troops combat the Taliban.
The United States’ hurried withdrawal from Afghanistan left many, including Wasi, facing revenge and death.
United States policies have failed to account for the men and women who bravely served to help the United States in the War in Afghanistan.
Wasi’s decision to leave Afghanistan was driven by survival. As a former officer in Afghanistan’s special forces, the Taliban began to target and kill those who fought to end terrorism. First traveling to Pakistan and then finally obtaining a humanitarian aid visa from Brazil, Wasi had to escape from his own homeland.
While in Brazil, Wasi was beaten and locals took advantage of Wasi as a foreigner, extorting him whenever he tried to buy basic necessities like food and water. Wasi, who had risked his life for the United States, thought that the country would help him obtain asylum. Yet when he crossed the border and requested asylum, he was detained, interrogated by federal agents, sent to the Val Verde Correctional Facility, and charged with a federal misdemeanor. His brother, now a U.S. citizen, was not given the option to pay bail so Wasi could await his trial with family.
This is a failure of our planning to leave Afghanistan and a failure of our immigration system to easily designate between individuals who have legitimate claims for asylum and those who are trying to enter the country illegally to cause harm.
Abdul Wasi Safi helped the United States and was left behind.
A Letter to PResident BIden
24 Organizations are asking for justice for Wasi.
Organizations representing well over a million of our Nation’s service members, veterans, retirees, and their families are asking
President Biden to do what's right.