Afghan ally dies in ICE custody in Texas, family seeks answers
USA TODAY
Family members of Mohommad Nazeer Paktyawal say he was “a strong and healthy man” and that \
A 41-year-old Afghan husband and father of six who served alongside U.S. military forces in Afghanistan died a day after being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, and one advocacy group is calling for “an immediate and transparent investigation” into his death.
Mohommad Nazeer Paktyawal, a resident of Richardson, Texas, died in ICE custody on March 14, according to an agency news release, adding that Paktyawal had reported no prior medical history at the time of his arrest or processing.
Paktyawal was taken into custody in Richardson on the morning of March 13 “during a targeted enforcement action,” the release said, describing him as “a criminal alien from Afghanistan.” The agency said Paktyawal was arrested twice in 2025 for SNAP fraud and theft but did not say whether he was convicted.
On the evening of March 13, it said, Paktyawal complained of shortness of breath and chest pains while in a processing hold room at an ICE field office in Dallas and was immediately transported to the city’s Parkland Hospital for treatment. The physician recommended he stay overnight for observation, the agency said.
The next morning, Paktyawal was eating breakfast when medical staff noticed his tongue had swollen, the agency said. That prompted a medical response, and despite multiple lifesaving efforts, Paktyawal was pronounced dead at 9:10 a.m.
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