In January 2025, Williams & Connolly, in partnership with Gibson Dunn, won asylum for an Afghan client whose father was assassinated by the Taliban for his pro-U.S. service and outspoken advocacy for women’s education and minority rights.  After his father’s death, the client publicly shared the story, attracting international media attention and making himself a target.  He fled to the U.S. in April 2023, where the Williams & Connolly legal teams took on his and his family’s cases pro bono.  They built a powerful asylum case, supported by expert testimony and a detailed record, and successfully secured an expedited hearing.  The immigration judge granted asylum from the bench, recognizing the client’s credible fear of persecution based on his political beliefs.

Now able to remain in the U.S. without fear of removal, the client works as a case manager at a refugee resettlement organization and supports his mother and younger sister.  He has also reunited with two other family members who were left behind in Afghanistan.  His brother, who fled to Pakistan after their father’s death, arrived in the U.S. on a Special Immigrant Visa with legal assistance from Williams & Connolly, while their 88-year-old grandmother entered on a humanitarian parole visa.  Her asylum claim is ongoing.  This multi-year, multinational effort highlights the impact of committed legal advocacy in protecting individuals who have risked everything in support of American values.

The Williams & Connolly team included Partners Ryan Scarborough, Ted Bennett, and John Joiner, with support from Associates Nicole Ratelle, and Ari Goldfine.