Afghan Immigrant Dies in ICE Custody Amid Medical Emergency

Mon Mar 16 2026 18:27:46 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Mohommad Nazeer Paktyawal, an Afghan immigrant and former U.S. ally, died after being detained by ICE, raising questions about medical treatment in detention facilities.

Mohommad Nazeer Paktyawal, 41, died in a Texas hospital shortly after being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). His family reported that he was healthy prior to his arrest. An investigation is underway as concerns about medical emergencies and ICE custody deaths continue to escalate.

Afghan Immigrant Dies in ICE Custody Amid Medical Emergency

In a deeply troubling incident, Mohommad Nazeer Paktyawal, a 41-year-old Afghan immigrant who previously assisted U.S. forces in Afghanistan, has died shortly after being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. According to reports, he died on Saturday at Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas, after suffering a medical emergency while in custody.

Paktyawal's family is struggling to comprehend the circumstances surrounding his death, expressing disbelief that he, a strong and healthy man, had died so suddenly. We still cannot understand how this happened. His children keep asking when their father will come home, they stated in a public announcement.

ICE reported that Paktyawal was arrested for fraud related to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) on September 16 and had a prior theft charge. During his processing on Friday, no medical issues were reported.

However, Paktyawal began to complain about shortness of breath and chest pains while at the ICE facility. He was subsequently taken to the hospital, where he remained overnight for treatment. Tragically, on Saturday, staff observed that his tongue had swollen during breakfast, prompting emergency medical efforts. Sadly, he was pronounced dead at 9:10 a.m.

His death is now the subject of an active investigation by ICE. Reports indicate that Paktyawal served alongside U.S. special forces in Afghanistan before relocating to the U.S. as a refugee, following the chaotic U.S. troop withdrawal and subsequent Taliban takeover in August 2021.

Paktyawal was living in Richardson, a suburb of Dallas, with his wife and six children while awaiting a decision on his asylum case. His death raises serious concerns about the conditions and medical care provided in ICE custody, particularly given the rising number of fatalities in detention centers during the ongoing administration of former President Donald Trump.

In recent statistics shared by ICE, there have been 14 custody-related deaths in the ongoing fiscal year alone, a number that is alarming and well on its way to surpass the previous year's toll. Currently, ICE is grappling with significant capacity pressures, having increased the number of detainees from around 40,000 to over 70,000, and plans to expand further to 92,600 beds by the end of November.

This latest incident has fired up discussions surrounding immigration policies and the treatment of detainees, particularly those with medical needs. Families of detainees, advocates, and concerned citizens are calling for urgent reforms to protect the rights and well-being of individuals in custody.