Prince Wafa risked everything to help Americans fight the Taliban in his homeland of Afghanistan. But when the U.S. wouldn’t help him save his new bride following the military’s botched pullout nearly two years ago, he had to once again put his life on the line.
In an exclusive interview with The Daily Wire, Wafa described how his journey began when he joined the U.S. military as an interpreter shortly after graduating high school in 2010. Serving until April 2014, Wafa then applied for a coveted Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) offered only to translators from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Native translators who served with an American military unit for 12 months and received a positive written recommendation from a commanding officer were eligible. The State Department, however, only grants 50 visas per year.
By August of 2021, that number would be far too low to accommodate the record number of requests. According to the Association of Wartime Allies (AWA), “81,000 SIV applicants in Afghanistan had visa applications pending as of August 15, 2021 (the day Kabul fell)…96% of the SIV applicants were left behind.”
Nevertheless, Wafa received his SIV and immigrated to the United States, starting a new life in San Diego. It wasn’t until 2019, after obtaining U.S. citizenship and becoming the owner of a 7-Eleven store in San Diego, that Wafa dared to return to Afghanistan to marry his wife.
The couple then began the complex process of applying for her visa so she could join him legally in the United States. When the visa application process stalled, Wafa faced unexpected hurdles.
Despite his pleas to the State Department to transfer his wife’s case to a safer location, like the United Arab Emirates, Wafa was met with indifference.
“[They told me] I cannot go to Afghanistan; it’s not safe for me,” Wafa implored the State Department, but his pleas were rejected. Fearing for his wife’s safety, Wafa decided the only course left to him was to take matters into his own hands.
Prince Wafa (far left), became a translator for the U.S. military shortly after graduating from high school. His efforts were rewarded with a U.S. visa. (Courtesy of Prince Wafa)
In late July 2021, as the Taliban’s increasing presence loomed over Afghanistan, Wafa reached out to the State Department once more, urging them to expedite his wife’s visa process. His appeals fell on deaf ears again, with officials stating they had no responsibility for her safety — despite all her documents confirming otherwise. Realizing the urgency of the situation, Wafa booked a flight to Dubai, intending to join his wife in Afghanistan.
Yet, as Wafa told The Daily Wire, when he arrived he discovered all civilian flights to and from Kabul were suspended, leaving him stranded.
Undeterred, Wafa, who is now 31, was willing to venture into dangerous territory, even if by foot. Disguising himself as a local Afghan wearing traditional clothing, he crossed the border into Afghanistan hoping to avoid detection by the Taliban.
“I had my American passport in my backpack — it was like a death certificate for me at that time, to have such documentation showing my close collaboration and citizenship,” Wafa said. “I just hoped that the Taliban wouldn’t search me. They didn’t, however — I looked like them, and I showed them my Afghan passport and they allowed me to enter Afghanistan. My brothers were waiting for me at the other side of the border and as soon as I crossed, they picked me up and we rushed to Kabul.”
This high-stakes gamble allowed him to reunite with his family in Kabul just days before the city fell to Taliban control. Upon arriving in Afghanistan, Wafa witnessed the collapse of his country and the loss of all that he and his fellow Afghans had fought for.
“We were devastated as Biden pulled all American troops out while he claimed that the mission in Afghanistan was successful and accomplished — while so many US citizens, including myself, were still in the country, abandoned.”
Prince Wafa sneaked back into his homeland to retrieve his wife after the U.S. botched its withdrawal in 2021. (Courtesy of Prince Wafa)
The Biden administration’s botched withdrawal from Afghanistan is now considered one of the worst American wartime withdrawls in history. Thousands of Afghan nationals fled to the Kabul International Airport in a chaotic effort to flee the collapsing country. Many were pictured on the crowded tarmac, climbing planes, and in one instance falling off a plane as it took off. 13 U.S. service members were also killed in what some experts say was a preventable terrorist bombing at the airport that also took the lives of 170 civilians. In addition to the human toll, the Biden administration also left behind over $24 billion worth of military equipment for the Taliban to seize.
Despite his disappointment in the handling of the withdrawal, Wafa held on to hope, staying in contact with his military friends in an attempt to secure their rescue. Their efforts, however, proved unsuccessful, leaving Wafa and his family in a perilous situation.
It was during this time Wafa connected with Jason Jones, founder of the NGO Vulnerable Peoples Project (VPP), after being told of his work by an active duty officer who had seen the NGO highlighted on the Catholic media network, EWTN. Upon hearing Wafa’s story, Jones quickly mobilized support. With the assistance of Jones’ VPP and others, Wafa and his wife were eventually evacuated from Afghanistan. Their arrival in the United States marked the beginning of a new chapter, where Wafa has not only embraced his role as a new American citizen but also dedicated his efforts to aid others in need. Even as he continues to run his own business, Wafa has not ceased his involvement with VPP — continuing to direct ground operations and delivering over 3 million meals to vulnerable Afghan families, including widows and orphans of fallen allies.
“It has been a privilege to work on a daily basis with Prince Wafa,” Jones said. “Even before successfully evacuating from Afghanistan, he displayed incredible courage volunteering to recon routes to help VPP safely evacuate other Afghan SIVs. He refused our initial offer to evacuate him and his wife early on because he thought it was too expensive and had to hide another 90 days until a more cost-effective route opened up. The day after arriving in the United States, he called me and said, ‘Let’s use the money VPP saved on my evacuation to save people from starvation.’”
Reflecting on his journey and the sacrifices made, Wafa shared a profound view of marriage, often stigmatized when associated with Afghan culture.
“At the end, even though my journey to bring my wife home was full of challenges and very risky, I am not regretful for taking any of those risks to save my family. I would do it again and again if I have to. I believe we men sacrifice our lives for two things — country and family— and if I ever have to face risking mine again, I will do so proudly.”
To support “VPP’s Project Noble Brother” and their support of widows and orphans of our Afghan Allies, go to www.TheGreatCampaign.org.