An 18-year-old Afghan national, who legally entered the U.S. on humanitarian parole with his father, a former U.S. military interpreter, has been detained by ICE in Connecticut. The student, who is a high school senior working towards his diploma, is receiving academic support from his school while in detention.
The 18-year-old entered the U.S. legally on humanitarian parole along with his father, who served as an interpreter for U.S. forces.Rihan had humanitarian parole while in the country due to his father being an interpreter for the U.
S. Mlitary in Afghanistan. Now, both he and his father have been detained by ICE, even as Rihan works on getting his permanent legal status and high school diploma. A high school senior in Connecticut is spending his days in immigration detention after ICE picked him up last week on the first day of his spring break. Rihan, 18, who’s being identified by his first name by his attorney, would have been starting senior year activities and preparing for upcoming final exams at Cheshire High School. Instead, he's being held at aAn Afghan national, Rihan legally entered the U.S. with his family in October 2024 and was granted humanitarian parole, which was set to expire in October of this year. According to one of his attorneys, Lauren Petersen, humanitarian parole was approved due to direct threats to the family after Rihan’s father, Zia, served as an interpreter for the U.S. military in Afghanistan. “The U.S. government looked at his specific case, the danger he was in, and gave him permission in advance to enter this country,” Petersen said in a While Rihan is in detention,"his school has been exploring ways to support him so that he can stay on track academically and graduate on time, including sending homework and class assignments to him through his attorneys at the detention center," Catalina Samper-Horak, executive director of The American Immigrant Legal Clinic, the organization representing Rihan and his family, told NBC News on Tuesday. Rihan “worked really hard to learn English, excel at school and be an A student. Now, he is worried, his family is worried and his school is worried," Samper-Horak said. Justice Sonia Sotomayor issues unusual apology over ‘hurtful' remarks about colleague Brett Kavanaugh Rihan and his family are among the more than 190,000 Afghans who were allowed to resettle in the United States since 2021, when theto resettle at-risk Afghans — especially those who worked alongside U.S. armed forces — during the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan following Caught in the crosshairs of this crackdown was Rihan's father, Zia,identified by his first name by attorneys, whom ICE detained last summer during an immigration appointment for his green card application. In court filings seeking Zia's release, the federal government said they sought to initiate deportation proceedings against Zia, arguing ICE had revoked his parole, though Zia and his family still have humanitarian parole until October. After spending months in detention, a court ordered Zia's release at the end of last year.ICE took Rihan into custody on the morning of April 6. He was in a car with his uncle and younger brother on their way back home when three to four ICE vehicles activated their sirens and pulled them over, according to a court document filed in a habeas corpus petition seeking Rihan's release. Several masked officers then emerged from the vehicles. According to the petition, they"erroneously claimed" that Rihan's parole had expired in October 2025 and arrested him. The court document states the officers did not produce a warrant or court order at the time of the arrest. “We believe an administrative error caused Rihan’s detention. We are hopeful this will be corrected promptly, allowing him to return home soon, graduate with his classmates from Cheshire High School, and continue his plans to pursue higher education,” Samper-Horak said. On Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security told NBC News in an email that ICE arrested Rihan"on federal immigration violations and issued him a Notice to Appear before a judge. He will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings. All his claims will be heard, and he will receive full due process." The spokesperson added that DHS will continue"going full throttle on vetting illegal aliens who came in through Biden’s fraudulent parole programs." Rihan and his family entered legally through the Biden administration's humanitarian parole program. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who has been advocating for Rihan's release, said in a statement on Tuesday that he is “appalled by ICE’s aggressive tactics in apprehending a teenager who is here in the U.S. because his family put their lives on the line to help our troops in Afghanistan." "DHS tried and failed to send his father back to near certain death in Afghanistan, so now they’re targeting his children," Blumenthal said."They deserve protection — not persecution. I will do everything I can to help this family and fight for permanent legal status to give them the safety and certainty they earned in service to our nation." Shawn VanDiver, president of the San Diego-based advocacy group AfghanEvac, said on Tuesday that Zia's immigration ordeal inspired his organization to launch the Battle Buddies initiative, which supports"Afghan allies facing detention and court proceedings" at a time when the Trump administration has said they will further scrutinize those who entered the U.S. via Biden-era parole programs. Now that Zia has been released,"then they snatched up his son," VanDiver said."Let the kid graduate." "Rihan should be walking back into school, experiencing the final chapter of his senior year, and preparing for graduation alongside his peers," said Samantha Rosenberg, chairwoman of the Cheshire Public Schools Board of Education, during last week's news conference. "Rihan belongs in school. He belongs with his family. He deserves the opportunity to graduate with his classmates and pursue his future," Rosenberg said as she choked up while sending a message to Rihan."If you’re able to hear this, your community sees you. Your teachers believe in you and we’re standing with you." "We're hoping that he will graduate with his classmates," Samper-Horak added,"wearing his cap and gown on the day of his high school graduation."
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