Charge dropped against Afghan soldier seeking asylum in US

By JUAN A. LOZANO
Associated Press

HOUSTON (AP) — Federal prosecutors have dropped an immigration charge against an Afghan soldier who’s been detained for months after he was arrested trying to cross the Mexico border in an attempt to seek asylum in the U.S. as he fled the Taliban in his home country.  One of his immigration attorneys said Wednesday that while Abdul Wasi Safi remains in custody at a federal detention center in Eden, Texas, the end of his criminal case likely means he will be released while his asylum claim is reviewed. Wasi Safi worked alongside U.S. troops but last year fled Afghanistan because of the Taliban, who took over following the 2021 U.S. withdrawal. He traveled to Brazil before making the treacherous journey to the U.S.