On June 24, 2025, federal immigration authorities arrested EM, a Hazara man from Afghanistan who lawfully applied for asylum in the United States. EM had survived targeted violence by the Taliban because of his identity as both a Shia Muslim and a Hazara, two groups historically persecuted in Afghanistan. After fleeing for his life, he arrived in the U.S. and was released from immigration custody in August 2023. 

Since then, EM followed every law, met every deadline, and complied with every requirement in his asylum process. He filed his asylum application on time. He appeared at every court hearing. He showed up, as required, for his most recent immigration hearing only to be arrested without explanation shortly after being granted a continuance. No judge ordered his detention. No emergency justified it. ICE simply took him.

EM wasn’t detained because he missed a deadline or skipped court, he was detained in spite of following all the rules. His sudden arrest appears designed to undercut his asylum claim and remove him from the district before he can defend himself in court.

UPDATE: EM’s legal team successfully advocated for his release and secured his protection against detention for a temporary period. EM is now seeking an explanation for his unnecessary sudden  arrest and immediate transfer out of the state.

No one should be detained for seeking safety. What happened to EM is not just wrong but it’s unlawful. When the government uses detention as a tool to obstruct asylum claims, it threatens the very foundations of justice.