A 41-year-old Afghan refugee who once worked alongside U.S. forces has died less than a day after being detained by immigration authorities in North Texas, prompting calls from relatives and community leaders for an independent investigation.
Mohammad Nazeer Paktyawal, a father of six, was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on March 13 near his home in Richardson, Texas. According to family members, agents detained him early that morning while he was preparing to take his children to school.
ICE said that Paktyawal had complained of chest pain and shortness of breath at a Dallas field office processing area before being transported to Parkland Hospital. Doctors initially treated him for breathing problems and advised that he remain for observation. Early the next morning, medical staff noticed his tongue had swollen significantly and began emergency treatment. Despite multiple attempts to revive him, he was pronounced dead at 9:10 a.m. Authorities say the cause of death remains under investigation.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security defended the agency’s medical protocols: “No one in ICE custody is denied access to proper medical care,” said DHS deputy assistant secretary Lauren Bis. “It is a longstanding practice to provide comprehensive medical care from the moment an alien enters ICE custody. This includes medical, dental, and mental health services as available, and access to medical appointments and 24-hour emergency care. This is the best healthcare that [sic] many aliens have received in their entire lives.”
Paktyawal arrived in the United States in 2021 after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, entering under the U.S. evacuation program known as Operation Allies Refuge. ICE said he was granted temporary humanitarian parole at that time but that the authorization expired in August 2025. The agency also stated he had prior arrests in 2025 related to alleged SNAP fraud and theft. Family members dispute aspects of that account and say he had an active immigration case and legal work authorization while seeking asylum.
Before leaving Afghanistan, relatives and advocates say Paktyawal spent more than a decade working with U.S. Army Special Forces beginning around 2005. Advocacy group AfghanEvac has said documents show he assisted American troops in eastern Afghanistan near the Pakistan border.
In a statement Sunday, ICE described Paktyawal as a “criminal illegal alien from Afghanistan” and said that Paktyawal had been arrested in a “targeted enforcement action” and that he had not reported any prior medical history. It said it was “committed to ensuring that all those in custody reside in safe, secure and humane environments.” According to the statement, Paktyawal had been arrested twice since the fall: once Sept. 16 for SNAP fraud and once Nov. 1 for theft. Paktyawal’s family has disputed the accuracy of that information.
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