By Elly Alexander
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On August 27, 2025, Akbar walked off a plane at Toronto Pearson International Airport and into the arms of his sister, Maryam. It was a reunion after four tense and uncertain years of hard work, set-backs, and patience. They say, “It takes a village . . .” However, this took more than a village. It took a world. Now that Akbar and his wife, Farzana, are safe, I am reminded of the many friends and experts who helped.
The story began in 2017, when the Mohammadi family arrived in Wilmington, Delaware. Maryam’s husband, Sadiq, had been a translator for the US military, and he was no longer safe in Afghanistan. They arrived in the US with their two young daughters, ages two and eight. The Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) program at Jewish Family Service (JFS) and members of Congregation Beth Shalom and Westminster Presbyterian Church welcomed them and made sure they had everything they needed.
The family quickly captured my heart. The girls went to JCC camp, and I met eight-year-old Mahnaz when she was working with an English tutor in the Albert Einstein Academy library, where I was employed. I first met Sadiq and Maryam at a Shabbat dinner at Karolin and Mark Lipman’s house. When I heard they were looking for a school for Mahnaz, I suggested Einstein since she was already familiar with the campus. She started that fall, and her teacher was a young woman from Toronto. Little did I know then that this would prove to be a crucial connection. Mahnaz learned both English and Hebrew that year, excelling at both. The family became part of the Einstein community, and a few years later we celebrated the birth of a baby brother.
Actually, this story really begins for me a generation or two earlier. In 1942, a family in Amsterdam hid a five-year-old Jewish girl from the Nazis and saved her life. That girl was my mother. I grew up hearing stories of family members escaping, often saved by people taking great risks. I was compelled to do whatever I could to help the Mohammadi family.
On August 15, 2021, the United States pulled out of Afghanistan and the Taliban took control. I happened to be visiting the Mohammadi family that weekend.
I sat with Maryam and Sadiq as they shared their deep concern about 10 family members left behind in Afghanistan. They worried for their parents and for their niece who would no longer be able to go to school. They were especially worried about Maryam’s brother, Akbar, who was in grave danger due to his job as a police officer. They felt helpless and didn’t think there was anything they could do. I had to at least try. After all, my mother was saved by strangers. What is a life worth?
The first person I called was Rosi Crosby, who was working at JFS. She agreed that we had to try. The best choice was to apply for humanitarian parole, a temporary entry authorization given for urgent humanitarian reasons. There was an August 30 deadline, and the application was long and involved. Each of the 10 applications needed extensive documentation, written explanations, and a fee paid to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). My husband, Rick, agreed that we should try. My crash course in international immigration began.
Sadiq provided the written statements and documentation via email for each family member. The applications had to be compiled in a precise way, each with a cover page. In order to follow all the instructions and complete them in a week, it took a team! We were on vacation in Massachusetts, so we had friends there bring us supplies. Papers were spread across a large table as we frantically sorted and collated. We managed to get everything to FedEx on time.
But it was too dangerous for Akbar to wait. In September 2021, he walked over the mountains and into Pakistan. At this point, Sadiq and I were in frequent touch. He and Maryam worried constantly, waiting for word from Akbar. He was hiding in a small village but was not safe. The story evolved into a movie-worthy, nail-biting undercover escape. Akbar’s wife was able to get to Iran with her family.
Akbar and Maryam reunite; provided by the Mohammadi Family
While the Mohammadis and I waited for the USCIS decisions, Rosi called Senator Coons’ office, and Pastor Greg Jones wrote to Senator Carper. Each office had teams working tirelessly on immigration issues. Senator Carper and his staff spent hours and weeks and months getting in touch with the State Department and Homeland Security and the embassies. Rabbi Beals reached out to his contacts in the White House. But, to everyone’s dismay, in January 2022, all of the applications were denied. I learned that thousands of applications for humanitarian parole were denied (while USCIS made millions from the fees). This seemed insane to me. Maryam was beside herself.
In Islamabad, Akbar was still in danger and could not wait any longer for “normal” visa-issuing procedures. So, I dug into the fine print: If we provided significant documentation from credible third-party sources specifically naming Akbar and the serious harm he faces, his case could be reevaluated. The documents must include evidence of imminent risk. Amazingly, Sadiq and Akbar gathered (and translated) letters, phone messages, and official documents, and together we resubmitted Akbar’s application for humanitarian parole (temporary entry authorization) just a few weeks later.
Months passed without an answer. Sadiq wrote to inquire:
Dear USCIS Humanitarian Parole Officer: It has been nine months since I applied
for Humanitarian Parole on behalf of my brother-in-law, a former Afghan police officer. While the world’s attention has turned to the people of Ukraine, the terror has only increased for people being hunted by the Taliban. . .
The Taliban is actively looking for my brother-in-law inside and outside of Afghanistan. He is very scared and worried. And any moment it is possible for him to be found, tortured, or killed (even inside Pakistan). He is strongly warned by the people of his village not to ever come back. Taliban sends many arrest warrants and threatening messages to everyone in the village or city for any information about his whereabouts.
The only chance for my brother-in-law’s survival is to be allowed to be with our family in the United States. He has US citizen sponsors and a family here in the states. He wants to work and he will not become a burden of the state. He deserves to live a terror-free life.
Please adjudicate his case as soon as possible and allow my brother-in-law get to safety before it is too late. Contact me if you need any more information.
Sincerely,
Sadiq Mohammadi (Applicant)
Apparently, a response was lost in the mail, and the new evidence was never considered. Sadiq was told by USCIS:
For new evidence to be considered, you would have had to file Form 290-B within 30 days of the denial letter (and pay fee). Form 290-B is separate from Form I-131. Since 30 days have passed from the denial letter dated January
7, 2022, then in order for new evidence to be considered, you must file a new form I-131 . . .
My crash course in immigration was turning into an advanced degree in law and bureaucracy. Since most parole applications were being universally denied, Sadiq and I consulted an immigration attorney and decided to try something different. In the summer of 2022, with the help of Sarah Baker Andrus and her connections at the University of Delaware, Akbar applied for a student visa. He got an interview at the US Embassy in Islamabad, but his application was denied because they didn’t believe he would return to his home country after he got his degree. Meanwhile, Sadiq and Maryam became US citizens and could apply to bring family members here, but it could take 13 years for a sibling application!
Desperately, Sadiq, Maryam, and I considered many possible routes, including through Mexico. Our best option was to apply for immigration to Canada with a private sponsorship. Basha Silverman connected us to Jewish Immigrant Aid Services (JIAS), the HIAS affiliate in Toronto. We started that process in February 2023. Who did we know in Canada who would sponsor them? Remember Mahnaz’s third grade teacher?
Not only was her teacher from Toronto; her father is a rabbi there. His congregation had sponsored refugees in the past, and they agreed to sponsor Akbar and his wife. So, we began another long application process. Meanwhile, we needed a wider circle of support.
In June 2023, Karolin, Rosi, and I sent a letter to the “village” of people who helped the Mohammadi family in Delaware:
As most of you know, Maryam and Sadiq have been doing everything they can to help their family members who are stuck in Afghanistan. Maryam’s brother Akbar was in the most danger and had to flee to Pakistan. The good news is that Akbar’s wife, Farzana, has been able to join him in Islamabad! We have tried many different avenues to try to get Akbar to the US, but have been unsuccessful so far. The best option right now is a Canadian sponsorship program through JIAS (the Canadian version of HIAS). Friends in Canada have generously agreed to sponsor Akbar and Farzana, but the approval process takes two years.
In the meantime, Akbar and Farzana cannot work because their Pakistan visas won’t allow it. Their monthly expenses are $400. Maryam and Sadiq are also applying to bring their parents to the US, another expensive process. Supporting Akbar on top of that is becoming unsustainable. The three of us put our heads together and thought that maybe the “village” would come together again to help “sponsor” Akbar for two years until the Canadian opportunity becomes a reality. We hope and pray it will!
About 20 community members pitched in and helped lift a huge weight off of Maryam and Sadiq’s shoulders. Akbar knew a community was rooting for him, giving him hope for the future.
It took until September 2023 for JIAS to get the Canadian sponsorship application ready to submit. And until February of 2024, to hear that the process was successfully underway.
Once again, we waited.
Finally, on Passover 2024, Akbar and Farzana had an interview at the Canadian Embassy in Islamabad. Although a translator was provided, Akbar was concerned about miscommunications.
In August 2024 (three years after Afghanistan was taken over), Akbar received a letter from Canadian Immigration that they had concerns about his character related to his work experience. He had 30 days to address those concerns in order for his case to be reconsidered. JIAS recommended we hire a Canadian attorney. We’d come this far, so Sadiq and I met with an attorney. She was cautiously optimistic and took the case.
Maryam had always spoken highly of Akbar, but now I saw for myself. During virtual meetings with the lawyer, I learned about the many times Akbar had gone out of his way to help people; in fact, he had risked his reputation in order to expose corruption and abuse. Hearing Akbar tell those stories (Sadiq translated) was a rare privilege. The lawyer took affidavits from people who could vouch for his kindness and acts of courage. One of those colleagues was already living in Canada, and the other was living in Germany. The response with evidence was 45 pages long!
The waiting continued.
Six months later, on Passover 2025, Akbar was called for a second interview at the Canadian Embassy. This time he prepared for the interview with the lawyers, and it went well. Then, more waiting.
As we began to lose hope, and life was becoming more dangerous for Afghan refugees in Pakistan, Akbar and Farzana were finally approved for permanent residence in Canada! Could it really be true? It would take another month before they got their travel documents. Maryam and I could not breathe until they stepped off the airplane in Toronto. When they did, there was a collective sigh of relief!
Photo provided by Elly Alexander
My mother (now 88) reminded me that the Canadian military liberated Amsterdam. She flies the Canadian flag on liberation day. On August 27, she raised that flag again. Last week, she mailed a blanket she had knit to Akbar and Farzana. She enclosed a note wishing them a warm welcome to Canada.
