Meet Ali

Ali* came from Kabul, Afghanistan to the United States in 2015 to study computer science with the goal of becoming a software engineer. He left behind a life endangered because of his family’s work with Americans. Ali’s father began working for the Americans in 2007 as an interpreter, linguist, and cultural advisor. Ali later joined his father as an interpreter. For their dedication to this work, Ali’s family was regularly threatened and eventually punished – first with an attack against Ali’s father, then a home invasion, and finally the attempted kidnapping of Ali. 

An extremely bright young man, Ali set out to study in the United States, hoping the situation would improve and he could return to Afghanistan and use his skills to help his country. But in December 2019, his own cousin, who had become radicalized by a sect of the Taliban, passed a message to Ali’s father that he was waiting for Ali to return to Afghanistan so he could punish him for his collaboration with the Americans. Like many Afghans, after working with Americans and pursuing a Western education, Ali was considered a traitor and an infidel by religious extremists, many of whom are now governing Afghanistan.  

RILA helped Ali apply for asylum in August 2020 and for his work permit in January 2021. He was troubled by how difficult it was to get his parents and two younger sisters out of Afghanistan. In 2015 Ali had helped them apply to come to the United States through the Special Immigrant Visa program, but they were still waiting. On July 30, 2021, just 16 days before Kabul fell to Taliban forces, Ali’s family miraculously made it onto a plane bound for the United States. Ali says of the miracle he witnessed, “My sisters are happy and hopeful that now we can start something. We are starting from zero, but we’re optimistic. I cannot imagine what I would have done if my family hadn’t made it on that plane.”

Ali and his family are currently helping RILA serve newly arriving Afghans in their pursuit of a legal pathway to remain safely in the United States.  

* Name has been changed.