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

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
Tags
Sources
- Afghan man who helped the U.S. fight the Taliban ordered released from ICE detention in Missouri
The Beacon·Dec 2, 2025·archived copy
KCUR·Dec 4, 2025·archived copy
- ICE arrests Maryland Heights man lauded as US Army translator in Afghanistan
- An Afghan man helped the U.S. fight the Taliban. ICE took him on terrorism allegations
St. Louis Public Radio·Sep 7, 2026·archived copy
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