SAN FRANCISCO — A soldier welcomed his Afghan interpreter to the United States on Wednesday after buying him a plane ticket to ensure his quick arrival amid concerns the Trump administration might try to expand its travel ban to Afghanistan.
Army Capt. Matthew Ball yelled “Qismat!” as he ran and then hugged Qismat Amin at San Francisco International Airport in a series of emotional embraces that marked the end of a yearslong battle to get the translator out of his war-torn country.
“I’m so happy,” Ball told The Associated Press after welcoming Amin. “Yeah it feels great. I’m happy to see him. I’m sort of overwhelmed. He’s here. It’s been a long time.”
The interpreter waited nearly four years for his special immigrant visa. He lived in hiding after receiving death threats from the Taliban for helping American troops.
His visa arrived two days after President Donald Trump signed an executive order temporarily halting immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries for 90 days. Afghanistan was not on the list, but U.S. officials said the list could be expanded to include other countries.
Amin has said he was nervous because he is an immigrant and Muslim. But those fears faded after he arrived to Americans holding signs that read “Welcome to America” and “Welcome Home.”
“Right now, I don’t know what to say. I forgot my words,” he said. “Actually this has made me much, much stronger, seeing people with the welcome signs. I feel like I got a huge family right now, and I got a big family in Afghanistan. But right now I got a way bigger family than I ever expected.”
Ball, a law student at Stanford University, led a letter campaign with fellow students, including many veterans, lobbying Congress to inquire about why it took so long for Amin to get a visa.
Ball said Amin protected his life during a yearlong mission in one of Afghanistan’s most dangerous areas. The Army captain, who is now in the Reserves, said he is happy he was able to return the favor by helping Amin get to safety.
Ball says Amin will live in Palo Alto at Ball’s home for now.
