Afghan soldier who was arrested at US-Mexico border after fleeing Taliban is granted asylum

By JUAN A. LOZANO
Associated Press

HOUSTON (AP) — The brother of an Afghan soldier who fled the Taliban and traveled through nearly a dozen countries before being arrested at the Texas-Mexico border says his sibling has been granted U.S. asylum, allowing him to remain in the country. Abdul Wasi Safi is one of thousands of Afghan citizens who fled to the U.S. following the withdrawal of the country’s forces from Afghanistan in August 2021. Safi had worried that if he wasn’t granted asylum, he could be sent back to Afghanistan and meet a likely death at the hands of the Taliban because of his work with the U.S. military. His lawyer surprised him Tuesday with the good news.