Afghan asylum-seeker dies in ICE custody, US advocacy group says

The former soldier who had worked with the US military in Afghanistan was arrested outside his apartment. Read more at straitstimes.com.

WASHINGTON - An Afghan immigrant who previously worked with the US military in Afghanistan and later sought asylum in the United States died this weekend in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody less than 24 hours after being detained in Texas, a US veteran-led advocacy group said on March 15.

Mr Mohammad Nazeer Paktyawal, who was living in a Dallas suburb with his wife and six children while his asylum case remained pending, was arrested by federal agents outside his apartment on the morning of March 13 while taking his children to school, the group AfghanEvac's president Shawn VanDiver said in a statement. Mr Paktyawal died of unknown causes on March 14, Mr VanDiver said.

Mr Paktyawal, 41, is at least the 12th person to die in ICE detention in 2026 under US President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. In 2025, 31 people died after being detained by ICE, a two-decade high. ICE has played a central role in Mr Trump's policy of mass deportations.

The US Department of Homeland Security, which includes ICE, said it needs more time to respond to a Reuters request for comment.

According to Mr VanDiver, Mr Paktyawal's family was told that he was taken to a hospital in Dallas on the night of his arrest and was still alive the following morning, but died shortly after.

AfghanEvac called for an immediate investigation.