Afghan interpreter beaten, tortured by Taliban in front of family as his SIV application lags

An Afghan interpreter who aided the U.S. military for the last decade was beaten by the Taliban in his home on Thursday night for suspected ties to the American government, as he and his family face a years-long delay for approval of their Special Immigrant Visa applications.

"The Taliban came to our house and beaten me and tortured me and asked why we left home last week when the Taliban was checking our house," he told Fox News. "We escaped and were hiding from the Taliban because I feared they know about my identity and my job because I was working for the U.S. government."  During the U.S. mission in August to evacuate thousands of American citizens and Afghan allies after Afghanistan’s fall to the Taliban, the interpreter and his family traveled to Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul trying to evacuate, but could not get through the crowds, tear gas and Taliban checkpoints.  The interpreter told Fox News his wife and two daughters returned home and encouraged him and his young son to keep trying, for fear that his staying in the country would result in being killed by the Taliban due to his work with the U.S. military.