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The Texas Tribune
The Texas Tribune
National
Allison P. Erickson

Afghan soldier jailed in Texas for crossing border should receive presidential pardon, U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee says

Abdul Wasi Safi Jackson Lee Sheila Jackson Lee Texas United States Joe Biden White House Houston Taliban
Sami-ullah Safi, brother of detained Afghan soldier Abdul Wasi Safi, speaks during a press conference with U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, in downtown Houston on Jan. 13, 2023.
Sami-ullah Safi, brother of detained Afghan soldier Abdul Wasi Safi, speaks during a press conference with U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, in downtown Houston on Friday. (Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune)

HOUSTON — U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee is demanding the release of a former Afghan soldier seeking asylum in the U.S. who is being held at a Texas detention center after he attempted to cross the U.S.-Mexico border to reunite with his brother.

And to ensure Abdul Wasi Safi begins his life in the U.S. without a criminal record, Jackson Lee, a Houston Democrat, has sent a letter to the White House asking the Biden administration to pardon the Afghan veteran for any crimes related to his crossing the border seeking asylum.

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