Former Afghan refugee becomes U.S. Citizen and leads the State effort to integrate over 2000 Afghan evacuees in Colorado.

Don’t be fooled by Muhammad Abdullahi’s smiling face and relentless positivity. Muhammad and his family came to the U.S. as refugees, fleeing targeted attacks by the Taliban because of Muhammad’s work with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan. Muhammad is also Hazara, an Afghan minority ethnic group that has suffered persecution for centuries at the hands of various governments and insurgent groups, such as the Taliban. Muhammad says that upon arrival, his first thought was “I feel safe here.”
In September of 2021 the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan, facilitating the evacuation of over 70,000 Afghan allies and their families as the Taliban retook control of the country. In December 2021, Muhammad applied for U.S. Citizenship, which was granted in July 2022. “I am very, very, very happy because I found a new country and a new life.”
Muhammad, who is now a Resource Navigator at Hope Communities, has been at the forefront of the effort to integrate the over 2000 Afghan evacuees who have resettled in Colorado. Once a newcomer himself, he knows first-hand the multitude of challenges when starting over in a new country. He loves doing this work because he remembers how much he struggled and wants to make the process easier for others going through the same experience: “Because I had a hard time, I like to help people from my country and from any country. I want to share my experience, to help people find their way and support their family.”
He registers people in English classes and career services programs, takes them to appointments at the DMV and the Social Security Office, connects them with food pantries and other similar resources, and shares his own experiences to guide others and help them feel less alone. About his work, Muhammad says “I like to help people, everybody, not just Afghan people. Any race, and country, any religion.”
Muhammad’s citizenship attorney, Tracy Harper, became the coordinator of the Colorado Afghan Legal Project at Catholic Charities of Denver, funded by the State of Colorado, through its fiscal sponsor, the Rose Foundation. The Project’s aim is to help Afghan evacuees who have resettled in Colorado stabilize their immigration legal status so that they can remain safe and stable in the United States. Muhammad began by offering interpretation and cultural bridging at impromptu screenings to determine what the greatest legal services needs were. His work evolved over the year to coordinating interpreters and Afghan participants for twelve asylum workshops that prepared over 600 applications for asylum. Without Muhammad’s assistance, this Project would not have been possible, and he continues to collaborate with Catholic Charities of Denver Immigration Services today as we address the legal needs of our new Afghan neighbors.