Phoenix woman trying to help an Afghan friend get into the US while the Taliban are looking for him
Turn on FOX 10 Phoenix for the latest news:
PHOENIX – A Afghan Mann is on the run after being targeted by the Taliban, and his friend, who lives in Phoenix, says he and his family are leaving because of his connection to the US Army.
Mindy Weller says her boyfriend has been on the run for two weeks, wandering across Afghanistan for nine hours, trying her best to get him help.
“It’s nerve wracking, you know? Will I hear from him today? she wondered.
Weller does her best to keep in touch with her friend, who is not identified for security reasons.
“To be honest, I cry every day. I pray every day that he will get in touch because we have a limited window of time to contact me and it has been pretty consistent, so I pray that I don’t find out that he is dead. ”Called.
She says her friend, an Afghan national, served in the US Army Corps of Engineers and also worked as an interpreter for the Afghan National Army on behalf of the United States
Afghan national works to be saved by a friend in Phoenix, Arizona. His identity is protected for security reasons
She says he was threatened and targeted for helping the U.S. Army.
She says they have followed his family since he went into hiding.
“They went to his house at least twice as far as I know. The first time they looked for him, basically to have him executed. His family had hidden him, and his wife and friends had hidden him, and when they left, they actually kicked the door and when he wasn’t there they attacked his wife and young son, “said Weller.
She has worked with refugee officials and other government agencies to get her boyfriend out of the country, but was told he must first get a visa, which costs money.
They were also advised to hire an attorney, which will cost them $ 15,000.
“So I mean, it’s just one roadblock at a time, but we’re still trying, still doing the paperwork,” she said.
Although she may be thousands of miles away, Weller says that just keeping in touch with her boyfriend helps him because he knows there is someone who cares.
“That way he knows he won’t be forgotten because that’s his greatest thing
is that he feels like he’s being left behind, “she said.
At least 50,000 Afghans are expected to be admitted to the United States after the fall of Kabul to help people who supported the American war effort and others who are particularly at risk under Taliban rule, the secretary of homeland security said Friday.
Tens of thousands of Afghans have already made it through the security clearance and have arrived in the US to begin relocation. How many more will come and how long it will take remains open, said DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas as he outlined the effort.
“Our commitment is permanent,” he told reporters. “This is not just a matter of the next few weeks. We will not rest until we have achieved the ultimate goal.”
Mayorkas and other Biden government officials provide the most detailed glimpse yet of what began as a hectic and chaotic effort for U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and Afghans, ahead of the withdrawal of American troops on August 30 and the end of the country’s longest war to evacuate.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Comments are closed.