Help us free a disabled US veteran from ICE detention

Muhammad Zahid Chaudhry, or “Zahid” to those who know him, is an honorable, decorated, disabled American veteran in a wheelchair due to injuries sustained in service to our country. He has a natural-born American wife and two American citizen children, ages 2 years and 8 months. He served in both the US Army and the National Guard, and also served as a volunteer firefighter and paramedic in Yakima, WA prior to his injuries.

On August 21, 2025, Zahid was taken into Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody after attending a naturalization meeting at the Tukwila, Washington DHS building.

Zahid has been fighting for his right to live in the country he fought for, for decades, being subjected to the attentions of Raphael Sanchez and Jonathan Love, two ICE attorneys - Seattle Chief and Deputy Chief, at the time - who were since criminally convicted of crimes committed against immigrants in their official capacity.

Zahid joined the US Army prior to 9/11, out of genuine patriotism and a desire to serve the nation he loved. He was described by his officers as an “exemplary soldier” with “leadership potential.” After 9/11, he was activated for Operation Iraqi Freedom and sustained severe injuries while deployed. By this time, due to his specialization in mental health (a prerequisite to counterintelligence work), he was sought after by intelligence agencies, who offered him great pay and benefits in exchange for his cooperation. He found that cooperation violated his moral principles. He was unwilling to just “give a name” and throw an innocent person to the wolves, as he saw it… and so he was told, very directly, that they’d make his life hell, and his citizenship wouldn’t be forthcoming.

Since becoming disabled, he’s devoted himself to benefitting the community every way he can. He’s served on dozens of boards supporting local nonprofits; he’s sought-after by major foundations for his input on how to best award grants to serve diverse communities; he’s given sermons in Christian, Quaker, Muslim, and Unitarian Universalist congregations; and he’s founded multiple nonprofits including Veterans Suicide Prevention, Sustainability Conservancy, and People of Color Community Coalition. He’s a brother Mason, and has served as a father/mentor figure to American youth in the DeMolay program for character development and leadership. He has renovated blighted homes, repaired people’s vehicles for free, and arranged to prevent eviction of struggling families. He is a renowned advocate for peace and serves as President of the Veterans for Peace, South Sound Chapter (Rachel Corrie Chapter). He is an honorable and upstanding resident in every way, who by statutory (legal, inarguable) right, should have been naturalized as an American citizen all the way back in 2004. He has always come to the United States legally, and he has never committed a crime here.

We are asking for your support, to ensure Zahid can receive strong legal defense, and he seeks to reunite with his family and keep their family whole.

Every dollar donated will go towards ensuring Zahid can stay with his family and continue in his goal of uplifting his community.