Federal immigration agents arrested at least 10 Afghan nationals in the Albany area this week, part of a sweeping nationwide crackdown launched after an Afghan migrant was accused of shooting two National Guard members in Washington, DC.
In Albany, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents apprehended two men, a 57-year-old father and his son on Central Avenue after morning prayers on Wednesday, December 3.
Three men along with seven other Afghans were arrested on Monday from a separate family in Watervliet.
Yousaf Sherzad, interim president of the Afghan American Community Center in Albany, confirmed they all have pending asylum applications.
The enforcement action became active after the Nov. 26 shooting near the White House that killed National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe, who was seriously injured.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national resettled in the United States in 2021 under a program for wartime allies, was indicted and has pleaded not guilty.
President Donald Trump called the incident a “terrorist attack” and immediately ordered a review of security and screening protocols for migrants from Afghanistan and 18 other “high-risk” countries.
