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Afghan green card holder who interpreted for U.S. military detained by ICE

A green card holder who worked as a U.S. military interpreter and cultural adviser, and father to a child born weeks before his arrest, was detained outside his Missouri home on terrorism allegations he denies.

Sep 14, 2026St. Louis County, MOCountry of origin: Afghanistan

Afghan green card holder who interpreted for U.S. military detained by ICE
Photo via The Beacon

A Maryland Heights, Missouri man who worked as a U.S. military interpreter and cultural adviser during Operation Enduring Freedom was detained by ICE and FBI agents outside his home as he left for a morning run. He entered the U.S. legally in 2014 through the Special Immigrant Visa program and is a green card holder who built a life with his wife, Cata Estrada, and their children, including one born weeks before his arrest. A scientist with multiple degrees who hoped to become a doctor, he is also a plaintiff in a 2023 federal lawsuit over being placed on terrorist watchlists. ICE alleges he provided material support to a terrorist organization, citing a 2021 FBI search warrant linking him to a group associated with al-Qaida, and claims he lied on his 2019 naturalization application. He denies the allegations and says his rights as a permanent resident have been violated, seeking a jury trial. He is being held at the Ste. Genevieve County Detention Center in Missouri, with an immigration court hearing scheduled for September 14 in Kansas City.

Timeline

Sep 14, 2026—Immigration court hearing scheduled in Kansas City
Sep 7, 2026—Detained by ICE and FBI agents outside his home while leaving for a morning run
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