Afghan soldier seeks asylum, hopes for ‘American dream’

Houston, January 28

In the months he was held in detention in Texas during his legal fight to remain in the US, Afghan soldier Abdul Wasi Safi thought he would eventually be returned to his home country and meet a likely death at the hands of the Taliban because of his work with the US military.

But on Friday, he stood a free man, filled with hope that the help he provided the US military would ultimately help him secure asylum. Amid hugs from his brother and lawyers, Wasi Safi proudly smiled as he received an award from one of his supporters — Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Democrat from Houston— that honored his military service to the US.

“I am hopeful about the next step in this process and one day being able to live the American dream,” Wasi Safi said at a press conference in Houston. — AP