Mohammad Rahim Wahidi, the former Taliban ambassador to Spain, was detained by U.S. immigration officials under controversial legal justifications, raising alarms about the implications for lawful residents.
Former Taliban Ambassador Detained Under Controversial Immigration Law
Former Taliban Ambassador Detained Under Controversial Immigration Law
Immigration officials detain former Taliban diplomat at Dulles Airport amid scrutiny over deportation justifications.
On April 1, 2025, U.S. immigration officials detained Mohammad Rahim Wahidi, a lawful permanent resident and former Taliban ambassador to Spain, at Washington Dulles International Airport. Wahidi faced more than 30 hours in custody after arriving back in the country from Turkey. His lawyer, Hassan Ahmad, described the detention as a misuse of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows for the deportation of noncitizens deemed national security risks.
In a striking move, a federal judge declined to release Wahidi from detention despite his legal status and the fact that his wife is a U.S. citizen. Wahidi's case emerges amid broader concerns over the Trump administration's recent actions targeting foreign nationals, notably students involved in pro-Palestinian protests, using similar national security justifications.
While Wahidi's brother-in-law is implicated in an Iranian journalist's assassination plot as per the Justice Department, the former diplomat's own past includes being stripped of his title in Spain due to sexual assault allegations, though no criminal charges were ever pursued. Upon his return to the U.S., he faced interrogation without legal representation, prompting his legal team to file a petition for his release.
Judge Leonie Brinkema of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia intervened to prevent Wahidi from being moved far from the Dulles area, a common practice that has occurred in cases involving other detained activists. Currently, he has been granted the right to communicate with his lawyer while his situation unfolds in court.
As this case develops, it remains a focal point of concern regarding the U.S. government's interpretation of immigration laws and the treatment of noncitizens, particularly those with ties to controversial political circumstances.
In a striking move, a federal judge declined to release Wahidi from detention despite his legal status and the fact that his wife is a U.S. citizen. Wahidi's case emerges amid broader concerns over the Trump administration's recent actions targeting foreign nationals, notably students involved in pro-Palestinian protests, using similar national security justifications.
While Wahidi's brother-in-law is implicated in an Iranian journalist's assassination plot as per the Justice Department, the former diplomat's own past includes being stripped of his title in Spain due to sexual assault allegations, though no criminal charges were ever pursued. Upon his return to the U.S., he faced interrogation without legal representation, prompting his legal team to file a petition for his release.
Judge Leonie Brinkema of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia intervened to prevent Wahidi from being moved far from the Dulles area, a common practice that has occurred in cases involving other detained activists. Currently, he has been granted the right to communicate with his lawyer while his situation unfolds in court.
As this case develops, it remains a focal point of concern regarding the U.S. government's interpretation of immigration laws and the treatment of noncitizens, particularly those with ties to controversial political circumstances.
