Micah Jonah
March 16, 2026
An Afghan asylum seeker has died while in the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, less than 24 hours after his arrest in Texas, a veterans’ advocacy group said.
The man, identified as Mohommad Nazeer Paktyawal, was reportedly detained on Friday outside his apartment while taking his children to school in the Dallas area.
According to the advocacy group AfghanEvac, Paktyawal died on Saturday, though the cause of death has not been confirmed.
The 41-year-old had been living with his wife and six children in a suburb of Dallas while his asylum case was pending.
In a statement, ICE said Paktyawal was eating breakfast when medical staff noticed his tongue had become swollen, prompting an emergency medical response. The agency said he was later pronounced dead after attempts to resuscitate him failed.
ICE said it remains committed to ensuring that individuals in its custody are held in safe and humane conditions.
However, AfghanEvac called for an immediate investigation into the death, noting that it was unusual for an otherwise healthy person to die less than a day after being taken into government custody.
Paktyawal had previously served as a special forces soldier in Afghanistan, worked alongside the United States Army Special Forces for several years.
He and his family were evacuated to the United States in 2021 following the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan after nearly two decades of war.
Advocacy groups say Paktyawal’s death is at least the 12th reported fatality in ICE detention facilities this year, amid a broader immigration crackdown under US President, Donald Trump.
Data from the US Department of Homeland Security shows that about 68,000 migrants were being held in ICE detention as of early February, reflecting a sharp rise linked to expanded immigration enforcement policies.
