ICE Faces Investigation Calls After Afghan U.S. War Ally Dies Within 24 Hours
An Afghan man who worked with U.S. forces during the war in Afghanistan died less than a day after being taken into federal immigration custody in Texas, prompting calls for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
Mohommad Nazeer Paktyawal, 41, was arrested Friday morning by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents outside his apartment in Richardson, a suburb of Dallas. Family members say he was preparing to take his children to school when officers detained him.
Paktyawal died Saturday morning at Parkland Hospital in Dallas after experiencing breathing problems while in custody, according to ICE and multiple news reports.
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Federal officials said Paktyawal complained of shortness of breath and chest pain and was transported to a hospital. ICE later reported that medical staff noticed his tongue swelling during breakfast before attempts to revive him failed.
“It is highly unusual for an otherwise healthy 41-year-old man to die less than a day after being taken into government custody,” said Shawn VanDiver, president of the advocacy group AfghanEvac.
Paktyawal had been evacuated to the United States in 2021 after working with U.S. special forces in Afghanistan and was living in Texas with his wife and six children while awaiting a decision on his asylum application.
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ICE said he had previously been arrested in cases involving alleged food assistance fraud and theft, though advocates dispute that characterization and say he had no criminal convictions.
His death is at least the 12th reported in ICE detention this year, according to federal disclosures and media reports, raising renewed scrutiny over conditions and medical care in immigration custody.
Authorities say the official cause of death is still under investigation, with further details expected from the medical examiner.
The results of that investigation could determine whether the case triggers a broader federal review.
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