Slain Afghan interpreter’s family get emergency visa for US

The family of an Afghan man who was killed after helping U.S. troops has received emergency approval to move to the United States, lawyers and advocates for the family told Stars and Stripes.

According to Stripes, the man, known by the pseudonym Mohammad, worked for the U.S Embassy and military in Afghanistan for 12 years and is believed to have been killed by Taliban insurgents while waiting for a U.S. immigration visa.

His widow and six children continued to face threats after his murder and applied for humanitarian parole, a status that allows those under immediate threat to seek refuge in the United States, Stripes reported.

Their application was approved last week and advocacy groups are ready to greet them, said Cress Clippard, a Marine veteran and a volunteer for the Houston-based Combined Arms SIVs and Allies.

“I firmly believe that this decision is saving the lives of Mohammad’s wife and children,” Clippard said. “He served alongside us, and his family deserves to be taken care of. Houston is ready and willing to take them in and support them.”

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services declined to comment on the case Monday due to privacy restrictions, Stripes reported.

Mohammad waited almost a decade for a Special Immigrant Visa, which allows those facing threats after aiding the U.S. to immigrate with their families, said the family’s lawyer, Julie Kornfeld of the International Refugee Assistance Project.

His SIV application was wrongfully delayed, and prior to his murder in January he faced constant threats on his life from the Taliban for working with the Americans, his son told Stars and Stripes.

Mohammad’s family members remain in hiding in Afghanistan as they prepare to come to the U.S., their lawyer said.