Mohommad Nazeer Paktyawal, 41, a father of six, was taken into ICE custody outside Dallas as his children watched. He died less than 24 hours later.
Paktyawal died within a day of being taken into Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody in Texas, according to a statement from his family.
He had come to the United States after the 2021 collapse of the U.S.-backed government in Afghanistan, seeking safety with his family. He had worked alongside U.S. troops in his home country.
“The morning he was taken away, he was getting ready to drive his children to school,” the family wrote in a statement shared through the organization AfghanEvac on Sunday, according to People. “His children watched as he was surrounded and taken away. That moment will stay with them forever.”
By that night, the family says they were told he had been hospitalized.
“The next morning we were told that he had died.”
“His family deserves answers”
Paktyawal’s family described him as “a loving husband and father” whose children “adored him,” adding that “his children keep asking when their father will come home.” His youngest is just 18 months old.
ICE confirmed that Paktyawal had been in custody for one day before his death on March 14 at 9:10 a.m. at Parkland Hospital in Dallas.
In its statement, the agency said Paktyawal had “a known criminal history,” citing two arrests last year for alleged “SNAP fraud” and theft. Officials did not clarify whether he had been convicted.
Requests for more information about his criminal record — as well as how immigration cases are handled for people who fled their countries due to fear of retaliation for working with U.S. forces — went unanswered by both ICE and the Department of Homeland Security. ICE also said Paktyawal had not reported any prior medical conditions. In a separate social media post, DHS said he provided “NO RECORD of military service.”
According to People, federal immigration authorities said Paktyawal entered the U.S. through Washington Dulles International Airport on August 21, 2021, and was granted parole upon arrival. ICE said that parole expires on August 20, 2025.
Shawn VanDiver, president of AfghanEvac, said: “Mr. Paktyawal survived our war in Afghanistan and trusted the United States enough to rebuild his life here.
“His family deserves answers. The American public deserves answers. The U.S. service members who fought alongside Afghan partners deserve answers.”
Human rights groups have documented widespread allegations
ICE said Paktyawal’s death is now under internal investigation, as required by law.
“ICE is committed to ensuring that all those in custody reside in safe, secure and humane environments,” the agency said.
Human rights groups including the ACLU, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch have reported widespread allegations of civil rights abuses in ICE detention centers across the U.S., including cases involving children, especially during President Trump’s renewed deportation efforts.
Rep. Marc Veasey, a Democrat representing the Dallas area, said he had visited the facility where Paktyawal was held just last week. He is now calling for “a full and transparent investigation and immediate answers from ICE and the Department of Homeland Security.”
Paktyawal’s death is not an isolated case. According to researcher Austin Kocher and writer Adam Sawyer, more than 40 people have died in ICE custody during the first 14 months of Trump’s second term, with 12 deaths reported so far in 2026 alone.
