Amid ICE deportations, visa processing freezes, and the forthcoming trial of an Afghan refugee suspected of shooting two National Guard soldiers, an Afghan man living in Central Virginia reflects on his time helping U.S. Special Forces and where his allegiances lie.
These days, Salih Wafa keeps his U.S. passport in his pocket. He doesn’t mind.
“You know, I used to stop people when I was in the military,” said Wafa, who lives in Charlottesville. “I used to stop people, check them, and ask people if they were militants, if they had any ties with the militants. We used to detain people. I don’t mind if somebody is stopping me, just to make sure everyone around us is safe. Especially with the things that happened in DC.”
Nearly two months after the shooting that left one National Guard service member dead and another severely wounded, the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, goes on trial this spring. With the government’s recent freeze on visa processing from 75 nations, including Afghanistan, some immigrants are bracing for backlash not seen since Sept. 11, 2001…