Evacuate Afghan Linguist’s Family

My name is James Lockett, I am currently a 3L at Suffolk University Law School, and a former Army Infantry Officer who served 8 years on Active Duty and deployed 3 times to Afghanistan. When you are deployed to a country like Afghanistan, you rely heavily on your linguist for more than just translating. During my first deployment, “R” was an additional set of eyes and ears to alert me to potential threats. “R”, like all Afghan linguists, was an integral part of my unit, and I trusted him with the safety of my soldiers. He risked his life for our safety while deployed, and now I am seeking to help him in evacuating his family. 

 

I need your support to assist with the evacuation of my former linguist's (“R”) family from Afghanistan. Two days after the collapse of the Afghan government, the Taliban came to “R’s” parent’s home and demanded to know where “R” and his brother, were located. During this attack, the Taliban shot one of his brothers and took another captive, forcing “R’s” family into hiding, where they remain today.

 

I have been working closely with a Massachusetts-based immigration attorney, Mahsa Khanbabai, who has taken "R's" family's case Pro Bono. Masha is the co-chair of the American Immigration Lawyers Association Afghan Response Taskforce and has agreed to accept donations on behalf of “R”. “R’s” wife and children are eligible, and have applied for, Special Immigration Visas (SIVs) so that they can join “R”, who currently resides in the U.S. The approval process requires an in- person interview at a U.S. Embassy, which means that they must travel by land to Pakistan where the closest open embassy is located.

 

I am asking you to assist by donating to help cover the family’s essential expenses, including a safe house in Afghanistan, food and basic toiletries, travel by land to Pakistan, temporary housing in Pakistan, and flights to the United States.

 

-Total expenses per person are estimated to be $3,489.66.

-A donation of $540 will provide food for 14 days for 6 people.

 

Any and all donations are welcome and very much appreciated. If you would like additional details about “R’s” family and their situation, please reach out to me directly. Thank you!