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Court Bars Removal of Afghan Interpreter Detained by ICE as DHS Investigates

He remains in a Plymouth County facility under a temporary stay of removal.

The entrance to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office stands behind fences outside 26 Federal Plaza in New York City, U.S., July 22, 2025. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
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The Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, Department of Homeland Security, U.S, Citizenship and Immigration Services Form I-485.
WATERBURY, CT - 03.19.2019 - GUN PRESS CONFERENCE - "Federal funds should not be used to arm school personnel,? says U.S. Representative Jahana Hayes (CT-05), a member of the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee, at the front entrance of John F. Kennedy High School in Waterbury where she was a history teacher. Hayes spoke at a press conference at the school with U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), at right, U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), at left, educators and students after introducing legislation to keep guns out of classrooms. The legislation clarifies that the U.S. Department of Education cannot allow school districts to use federal funds for the purpose of arming teachers. Last year, reports indicated that Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos would no longer prohibit school districts from using federal funds to purchase firearms or provide firearms training for teachers. Hayes introduced H.Res.231 ? Keeping Guns Out of Classrooms ? in the House, and U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) introduced the counterpart legislation in the Senate. PATRICK RAYCRAFT | praycraft@courant.com

Overview

  • Zia arrived in the U.S. under approved humanitarian parole and a Special Immigrant Visa in October 2024 after serving as an interpreter for U.S. forces, and he has a pending green card application.
  • ICE agents wearing masks and carrying weapons detained him on July 16 outside a USCIS center in East Hartford and transferred him to a Plymouth County, Massachusetts, detention facility.
  • On July 18 a federal judge granted a temporary stay preventing his removal from the United States while legal proceedings continue.
  • The Department of Homeland Security has confirmed an investigation into a “serious criminal allegation” against him without providing specifics, and his attorney asserts he has no criminal history.
  • Senators Richard Blumenthal, Representatives Jahana Hayes and Bill Keating alongside veterans groups have launched legal and legislative efforts to demand transparency on the charges and secure his release.