The US Department of Homeland Security confirmed to Amu TV on Monday that Mirza Mohammad Katawazai, a former deputy speaker of Afghanistan’s parliament, remains in immigration custody after arriving at Washington Dulles International Airport and being placed in removal proceedings.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told Amu TV in a statement that Katawazai was stopped by US Customs and Border Protection officers upon arrival on May 27.
“On May 27, 2026, US Customs and Border Protection officers at Washington Dulles International Airport encountered this individual and after further examination it was determined he was removable under Section 240 of the Immigration and Nationality Act,” the spokesperson said.
The statement added that Katawazai was served with a Notice to Appear before an immigration judge and remains in the custody of the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement pending further proceedings.
The department did not provide additional details regarding the grounds for the determination that he was removable under US immigration law.
The DHS statement follows reports from sources familiar with the matter who told Amu TV that Katawazai had been detained after arriving at Dulles Airport near Washington.
According to those sources, Katawazai had previously traveled to the United States and returned to Kabul before flying back to Washington last week, where he was stopped by authorities upon arrival. In November 2022, he was appointed as head of the Afghanistan Money Exchangers Union in Kabul.
Neither Katawazai’s family nor his office has publicly commented on the case.
A source familiar with the matter told Amu that he had spoken with Katawazai by telephone on the first day of Eid al-Adha and that the former lawmaker had said he was traveling to the United States.
Efforts by Amu to reach Katawazai directly were unsuccessful.
Katawazai served as first deputy speaker of Afghanistan’s Wolesi Jirga, or lower house of parliament, during the final years of the former republic government. He is also known as a businessman.
Following the collapse of the Afghan government in August 2021, Katawazai remained in Kabul and was reported to have maintained business ties in Afghanistan. His continued travel and reported involvement in commercial projects under Taliban rule have periodically drawn attention and criticism on social media.
