Matthew Borowski, ’12, succeeded in his quest to secure amnesty for an Afghan Army captain who had assisted U.S. forces near the Iranian border and faced a death sentence imposed by the Taliban.  

A U.S. immigration judge in Buffalo, N.Y. granted asylum to Borowski’s client, Noorullah Aminyar on Aug. 22, Esquire magazine reported, less than a week after publishing a 6,300-word article about the Afghan’s prolonged effort to remain in the U.S.

Aminyar faced deportation, in spite of the fact that he had assisted U.S. forces in capturing and killing members of the Taliban, attended the prestigious Defense Language Institute in San Antonio, Texas and received training at a National Guard base in Massachusetts to learn how to plan U.N. peacekeeping missions. He made an ill-advised attempt to flee to Canada after learning that the Taliban had beaten members of his family back home.

The original article showcased Borowski’s powerful advocacy on Aminyar’s behalf, and a follow-up article published on Aug. 23 noted his effectiveness in Judge Steven Connelly’s courtroom the day before.

“The majority of the hearing, over ninety minutes, consisted of Borowski's direct examination of Aminyar. They focused on the recent death of Aminyar's brother, Sefatullah, as his murder by the Taliban was new testimony for Connelly,” the article said. “In his answers, Aminyar always turned the conversation back to the power of the Taliban and weakness of the Afghan military.”

Esquire reported that the Department of Homeland Security attorney “only briefly cross-examined Aminyar, looking for an alternative explanation for Sefatullah's death. There was none.”

The DHS attorney concluded his closing arguments by announcing that the agency “will not oppose asylum in this case.”