U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have detained Benazir Noorzad, a 32-year-old Afghan student and Fulight scholarship alumna, in the state of Michigan. Her other, Mutiullah Noorzad, says he is worried his sister could be deported to Afghanistan.
Benazir Noorzad entered the United States in 2021 as a student in the prestigious Fulight program. After the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan, she applied for asylum in the U.S. She was scheduled to have an interview regarding her asylum application with immigration authorities in the coming weeks.
According to Mutiullah, his sister was detained by immigration officers on Thursday, October 29, at an airport as she was about to board a flight to Virginia. According to ICE's detainee database, as of Saturday, October 31, Benazir Noorzad was being held at a correctional facility in Michigan.
ICE has not yet commented on the specific reason for Ms. Noorzad's detention. This silence has added to her family's concerns.
Mutiullah Noorzad, who holds permanent residency in the U.S. and previously worked with the U.S. military in Afghanistan, considers his sister's detention "unjustified." He told the media that Benazir was working legally in the U.S. and possessed all the necessary documents for legal residence and employment.
He emphasized that her asylum application had not been denied, and this sudden detention was unexpected for their family. Benazir's other has asked U.S. authorities to review her case urgently on humanitarian grounds and to consider the potential dangers of her return to Afghanistan under Taliban rule.
This detention occurs as the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has been implementing stricter policies regarding immigrants and asylum seekers.
Source: Media reports
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