An Afghan refugee in Montana who faces a felony rape charge will not have his work permit revoked, according to the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS).
Robert Law, who is CIS’ director of regulatory affairs and policy, said his Department of Homeland Security sources told him that the Biden administration will not remove Zabihullah Mohmand’s employment authorization document (EAD) at this time.
An EAD is a work permit given to refugees in America so they can seek out work. Mohmand became eligible for an EAD after Homeland Security granted parole authority to Afghan refugees in August, The Hill reported.
Parole authority allows individuals “outside the U.S. to enter the country based on “‘humanitarian or significant public benefit reasons,’” according to The Hill.
Mohmand allegedly had sexual intercourse without consent with an 18-year-old girl earlier in October. Mohmand is in Montana as part of the federal government’s Afghan Placement and Assistance Program.
When examined by the Missoula Police Department (MPD), the girl “had significant bruising and red marks on the side of her neck,” according to the affidavit.
Mohmand told the MPD that the encounter was consensual and “liked what he was doing” and “asked him to do it,” according to the affidavit.
Mohmand’s arraignment is scheduled for November 1.
Last week when news of this alleged rape broke, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte said Mohmand did not have Special Immigrant Visa status and called on the Biden administration to stop sending refugees to Montana.
“I called on the Biden administration to assure us that these refugees are fully vetted. It’s not clear to us what occurred in this situation, so we are asking the Biden administration to halt the placement of refugees here until they can assure us that the people that are being placed — our allies have been fully vetted,” Gianforte said.
Montana Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT At-large District) said last week he cautioned people about admitting “unvetted” refugees into America.
“For months I have warned of the consequences of admitting and resettling unvetted Afghan nationals throughout our country. These unvetted Afghans do not share our culture and our values, and as this horrific incident shows they represent a serious risk to our communities,” Rosendale said.
Two weeks ago, Rosendale introduced a bill that would require refugees to go through proper vetting, end Homeland Security’s ability to parole refugees into America, and give more power to governors and congress in refugee resettlement, according to the representative’s press release.
As of now, Montana is set to get 75 Afghan refugees, according to Axios.
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Zachery Schmidt is the Digital Editor of Star News Digital Media. Email tips to Zachery at [email protected]. Follow Zachery on Twitter @zacheryschmidt2.
