They've abducted my husband, our kids' father - an Honorable, decorated, disabled US Veteran.Help us bring Zahid home.

Friends,On the morning of Thursday, August 21st, my husband Zahid Chaudhry was taken into custody by ICE at his naturalization interview.The Acting Director of the ICE Seattle Field Office, and USCIS Tukwila Director Jonathan Weeks, refused to my face to answer why he was detained.He is currently imprisoned at the Northwest Detention Center. As of Sunday evening (8/24/25), he is being kept in solitary confinement, in 24/7 bright light, without accommodations for his disabilities and almost completely without communication.

For those who don’t know him, my husband is an Honorable, Decorated, Disabled US Military veteran, who uses a wheelchair due to his service-connected injuries. He has been a peaceful resident of the United States for over 25 years and is a pillar of our communities. Since his injuries - which doctors believed he’d die from by 2009 - he has dedicated himself fiercely and with great joy to serving the most vulnerable in our communities.He has counseled and housed suicidal veterans, and abused women and their children. He has prevented evictions and founded (and served on the Boards of) nonprofits dedicated to affordable housing — as well as those committed to environmental conservation, disability rights, and advocating for communities of color. He served as a handpicked advisor to Governor Inslee, on the Governor’s Commission on Disability and Unemployment. He fills the room with his beaming smile, fierce love, and brilliant mind wherever he goes.
More background on his story, and family photos, can be found here:
https://bit.ly/zahidsstoryYes, I’m torn up inside. But I’m also calm. For faith like Zahid’s, that housed suicidal veterans, counseled abused wives and children, rescued and tended land and structures that everyone thought were worthless - that faith in the goodness of whatever is before you, no matter how damaged or broken - that faith is what this world needs us to bring. That faith, is what repairs the wounds of genocide and atrocity. That faith, in service, is what makes humanity whole.We are working tirelessly to secure his release, and return him to our family. Please spread the word.==
Here's the legal background --Zahid's been fighting in court to stay in the USA for almost twenty years. He honorably served, and was injured, in the US Army in 2001-2005 - resulting in his permanent use of a wheelchair. Yet, he's been denied citizenship for spurious reasons, claiming that our respected, peaceful, law-abiding, generous pillar of the community is a "threat to national security."He's fought that case all the way up to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, where briefing is now complete.
This is the final step - there is no higher court than this that will hear this case.In May 2025, we filed our Optional Reply Brief - reiterating the case and highlighting the bad faith efforts of the US Govt to deport him - and our Motion for Summary Judgment - arguing that since the main facts that entitle Zahid to citizenship are not in dispute, the Court should go ahead and naturalize him immediately and award damages. Sign up if you want to review those documents. (You can also view the whole history of the case at www.KeepZahidHome.org.)On August 5th, the Court decided to send the Motion for Summary Judgment to a panel of judges to review the merits. They only do this if they think the petitioner (Zahid) has made a credible case and might win. USCIS saw this move, and immediately - the same day, starting the same hour, as that decision was entered, finally (after ignoring them for many years) responded to his N400 Applications for Naturalization and issued an appointment for a naturalization interview.At that appointment, on Thursday August 21, 2025, they took my husband into custody.
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In this immensely difficult time, you can take the following actions to help our family:✍️ Draft a letter calling for his release under bond. Email it to me at [email protected].
Letters should emphasize the irreversible trauma to his kids of not having their father, his longstanding peaceful permanent residence and ties to the community (Eg, not a flight risk) and that having him safe with his family is no threat to national security.
✅ Sign the petition for his release. bit.ly/FreeZahid
💙 Chip in to support the fight to bring him home: bit.ly/FreeZahidFund
📣 Share widely with your networks so more voices can join us.Thank you. Your support means the world.