DALLAS (Diya TV) — The death of a 41-year-old Afghan asylum seeker in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody is drawing national attention, as conflicting accounts from federal officials, family members, and advocacy groups raise questions about immigration enforcement practices, detainee medical care, and transparency.
Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal died Saturday morning after being detained a day earlier by ICE officers in Richardson, Texas, according to the agency. ICE said Paktiawal complained of chest pain and shortness of breath shortly after intake and was transported to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas. Despite “multiple resuscitation efforts,” he was pronounced dead at approximately 9:10 a.m. The agency said the cause of death remains under investigation and that standard protocol requires notification to the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General and ICE’s Office of Professional Responsibility when a death occurs in custody.
ICE maintains that detainees have access to medical care at all times. “No one in ICE custody is denied access to medical care,” the agency said in a statement.
However, Paktiawal’s family disputes both the timeline and adequacy of that care.
His brother, Naseer Paktiawal, said Mohammad called him from detention hours after his arrest, reporting severe chest pain, labored breathing, and profuse sweating — symptoms commonly associated with cardiac distress. Naseer said he urged ICE personnel to send his brother to a hospital immediately but was told that on-site medical staff would evaluate him.
“He was begging for help,” Naseer said. “If they had acted sooner, maybe he would still be alive.”
The timing of medical intervention is now a central concern in the case. While ICE states that Paktiawal was transported after reporting symptoms, it has not released a detailed timeline indicating how long he waited before being taken to a hospital or what treatment, if any, he received during that period.
The circumstances of Paktiawal’s arrest have also come under scrutiny.
According to his family, ICE agents arrived early Friday morning in unmarked vehicles and detained him outside his home while his children watched. Naseer described the agents as masked and said the arrest created fear and confusion for the family. ICE has not publicly commented on the tactics used during the operation.
Federal officials have also characterized Paktiawal’s immigration and legal status differently than his family.
ICE stated that Paktiawal entered the United States in August 2021 under Operation Allies Refuge, the U.S. government’s emergency evacuation program for Afghan nationals following the Taliban takeover. The agency said his humanitarian parole expired in August 2025 and described him as an “illegal alien” at the time of his arrest. ICE also cited prior arrests in 2025 related to alleged food stamp fraud and theft, noting that he had not been convicted.
Paktiawal’s family, however, says he was in the process of seeking asylum and had valid work authorization. They claim documentation from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services extended his status through January 2029, a discrepancy that raises questions about how ICE determined his eligibility for detention and removal.
Immigration attorneys note that Afghan evacuees admitted under Operation Allies Refuge were typically granted temporary humanitarian parole, often for two years, and were expected to apply for asylum or other legal protections to remain in the country. Many remain in legal limbo due to backlogs in the asylum system, where cases can take years to resolve.
The case has drawn particular attention because of Paktiawal’s reported ties to U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
Advocacy organization AfghanEvac says Paktiawal worked with U.S. Army Special Forces for more than a decade, beginning around 2005 in Paktia Province. His family describes him as a longtime ally who risked his life supporting American troops during the war.
“My brother stood with U.S. soldiers for years,” Naseer said. “He trusted this country.”
ICE, however, said it has no record confirming such service. That assertion has been challenged by advocates, who say documentation for Afghan partners is often incomplete or difficult to verify, particularly for those who worked in informal or subcontracted roles during the conflict.
Shawn VanDiver, president of AfghanEvac, criticized the agency’s handling of the case, arguing that officials have emphasized unproven allegations rather than addressing the circumstances of Paktiawal’s death.
“The focus should be on why someone died in custody,” VanDiver said. “Instead, we’re seeing attention shifted elsewhere, and there’s very little transparency about what actually happened.”
Deaths in immigration detention are relatively rare but not unprecedented. According to publicly available ICE data and watchdog reports, such cases typically trigger internal reviews and, in some instances, independent investigations. Advocates have long raised concerns about medical care standards in detention facilities, particularly in cases involving delayed treatment or misdiagnosed conditions.
Federal law requires ICE to report in-custody deaths and conduct reviews, but critics argue that public disclosures often lack detailed timelines and medical findings, limiting accountability.
The Department of Homeland Security did not initially respond to detailed questions about the case, including requests for a timeline of medical care and clarification of Paktiawal’s immigration status. Officials later acknowledged the incident in a brief public statement but have not released additional information.
