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2w ago

Judge Temporarily Blocks Deportation of Afghan Interpreter Detained by ICE

Detained in Massachusetts under a temporary stay, Zia faces an unexplained Homeland Security investigation that has advocates calling for his release.

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
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
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Overview

  • Zia entered the U.S. in October 2024 on approved humanitarian parole and has a pending green card application.
  • Masked ICE agents arrested him at a USCIS office in East Hartford on July 16 and transferred him to a Plymouth, Massachusetts, detention facility.
  • ICE issued an expedited removal order alleging he entered illegally, prompting Zia’s attorneys to file a habeas petition.
  • On July 22, a U.S. District judge granted a temporary stay of removal, pausing his deportation while legal challenges proceed.
  • Veterans groups and bipartisan lawmakers, including Senators Blumenthal and Representatives Hayes and Keating, have rallied for his release and support the Afghan Adjustment Act.