When Abdul Wasi Safi crossed the U.S.–Mexico border seeking asylum, he expected a hero’s welcome. He had risked his life as a special forces commando trained by the U.S. military, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with American troops in Afghanistan. Instead, he was arrested.
His story, reported by Fox News, has become a sobering symbol of how deeply flawed the U.S. immigration and asylum system has become—especially for America’s most loyal allies.
After Kabul fell in August 2021, Wasi went into hiding. The Taliban had his biometric data, left behind by the U.S. government, and hunted him relentlessly. With the help of U.S. veterans, he fled to Pakistan, then Brazil. From there, he began a brutal journey on foot through 10 countries, facing beatings, robberies, and torture—often at the hands of law enforcement in those nations.
“I don’t know why. Without any reason, they tortured me,” Wasi told reporters from a Texas detention center.
He reached the Rio Grande in September 2022, where he asked for asylum—but was charged with a federal crime for crossing illegally. Despite his documentation, military certifications, and biometrics that matched U.S. records, he remains in custody.
Ben Owen, a U.S. veteran and founder of Flanders Fields and Owen Army, has stepped in to help Wasi’s brother Sami-ullah Safi navigate the legal complexities. Sami, a former translator for the U.S. military who became a U.S. citizen, worked tirelessly with veteran networks to get Wasi out.
“The night he crossed, he was with over 90 migrants—every one of them released. The one guy who served with us, who has America’s best interests at heart, is the only one still being held,” Owen said.
Ben confirms Wasi’s identity and service through connections with the last special operations task force commander in Afghanistan. “These guys are more vetted than you and I,” he added. “Annual polygraphs. Officer training in India. We know everything about them.”
Even while incarcerated, Wasi’s brother Sami continues to volunteer—recently helping Ben locate a fugitive in Houston. That’s the level of dedication this family has shown to a country that has, in many ways, abandoned them.
“This guy continues to put himself in harm’s way for America—even after America detained his brother. It’s unconscionable,” Owen said.
At Owen Army, we believe that loyalty should never be punished, and those who fought beside us should never be left behind.
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