TACOMA — Before he went into his naturalization meeting Thursday, Muhammad Zahid Chaudhry told his wife, Melissa, he’d be back in 10 minutes as an American citizen. The next time she saw her husband was in a visiting area within the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma.Chaudhry, 52, a U.S. Army veteran, activist and community leader, was taken into custody after arriving for his citizenship interview in Tukwila. Melissa Chaudhry, who ran for Congress in 2024 in Washington’s 9th Congressional District, said she has not been told why her husband has been detained.Dozens of protesters gathered outside Tacoma’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center over the weekend to call for his release and to condemn the tactics of the Trump administration’s nationwide immigration crackdown.“This is not just about Zahid,” Melissa Chaudhry tearfully told Saturday’s crowd of demonstrators. “This is about the soul of America. The promise of this country is as simple as it is profound. Liberty and justice for all. Those words are not conditional.” Over 60,000 people are detained in immigration facilities nationwide as of Aug. 11, a 54% increase from January, The New York Times reported. Nearly 380 are detained daily.“When immigrants are under attack, what do we do? Stand up and fight back,” protesters chanted Saturday. Many elected officials and activist organizations throughout the state have called for Zahid’s release. Loved ones who spoke at the protest said Zahid is a passionate father, activist and community member whose smile lights up a room.He has lived in the U.S. for about 25 years, his wife said, and has been working toward naturalization since the 1990s. In 2010, Zahid fought deportation in the U.S. after pleading guilty to using a false passport and credit card in Australia. A U.S. immigration judge ruled in 2018 to reaffirm his residency, his wife said. The U.S. appealed the decision, leading to an ongoing legal battle in the U.S. Court of Appeals. The Ninth Circuit Court issued a stay of deportation for Chaudhry until the case finishes.Despite not being allowed to see the interview, Melissa Chaudhry took Zahid to his interview Thursday, knowing immigration officials might deport him due to his history.The Chaudhrys went to the naturalization hearing as a “show of good faith.” Before dropping him off, Melissa Chaudhry asked the officers how long the interview would take, and they replied it would take two hours.“I said, ‘What guarantee do I have that you’ll bring my husband back to me?’ ” Melissa Chaudhry said. She was told it depended on how the interview went. The next thing she knew, he was detained.Melissa Chaudhry said her husband fell in love with Washington state while visiting his uncle as a boy. Eventually, around 1998, he moved to the U.S. and built a life. He served in the Army from 2001 to 2005 before being honorably discharged due to an injury he sustained while training. The injury left him paralyzed and in a wheelchair.After his military service, Zahid dedicated his life to activism, his wife said. He served on former Gov. Jay Inslee’s Committee on Disability Issues and Employment and is the president of the Veterans for Peace Olympia chapter. His activist work also includes counseling suicidal veterans. “He has served on the boards of countless nonprofits working for environmental purposes, affordable housing benefits, people of color community support, political empowerment for women and youth, immigrant support,” Melissa Chaudhry said. “He spends every waking moment doing something good.”Micaela Romero, a digital organizer at Washington Community Action Network, met Zahid two and a half years ago while attending a lobbying day at the state Capitol.She called her mom, sobbing, after hearing the news of Zahid’s detention. She felt like one of her uncles had been taken from her. “He’s such a bright light,” Romero said, wearing a red shirt with “Free Zahid” written all over. “How do I maintain that light with his absence? Whenever I talk to people about Zahid, they smile, even without him here, even though we’re all hurting, even though every person I talk to is shedding tears.” Outside of his activism, Melissa Chaudhry said he spends his time learning or keeping busy around the house. But, he’s not one to stay still for long. The two met in 2017 at The Evergreen State College. Melissa Chaudhry said her husband told her about what happened in Australia early in their relationshipShe said her husband was pressured to take a plea deal. Now, as he sits in solitary confinement without Wi-Fi access or his much-needed medications, his wife said Zahid is beyond deserving of citizenship.“He’s been serving his community in good faith his whole life, and he has been feeling so persecuted on this topic,” she said. “All he’s asking for is what he has earned by law, which is his citizenship.”