A 41-year-old Afghan asylum seeker who once worked alongside United States forces has died in custody of immigration authorities less than a day after his arrest.
The incident has triggered anger among his family and renewed scrutiny of detention conditions in the country.
Mohommad Nazeer Paktyawal, a father of six based in Richardson, Texas, was taken into custody by agents of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on March 13 while heading out to drop his children at school.
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According to his family, the arrest unfolded in front of the children.
“His children watched as he was surrounded and taken away. That moment will stay with them forever,” the family said.
They described the incident as traumatic and sudden.
Within hours of his detention, Paktyawal was reported to have fallen ill.
Authorities said he complained of chest pain and breathing difficulties during processing and was transported to a hospital for treatment.
He died the following morning.
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“We cannot understand how this happened. He was only 41 years old and was a strong and healthy man,” his family said according to Al-Jazeerah.
Adding that “His children keep asking when he will come home.”
Immigration officials confirmed the death, stating that medical personnel attempted multiple lifesaving measures after noticing complications, including swelling of his tongue, but were unable to revive him.
The agency, however, described Paktyawal as a “criminal illegal alien,” citing previous arrests linked to alleged misuse of food assistance benefits.
That claim has been strongly disputed by advocates.
Shawn VanDiver, head of the AfghanEvac coalition, insisted the narrative was misleading and incomplete.
“They don’t say that he was never charged, they don’t say that he was never convicted,” he said.
VanDiver said “It is not normal for an otherwise healthy 41-year-old man to die within 24 hours of being brought into custody.”
He added that, “His death raises serious concerns about whether the duty of care owed to detainees was upheld.”
Paktyawal’s background has further intensified the reaction.
Advocates say he served for years as part of Afghan special forces units that worked closely with American troops during the war in Afghanistan, particularly in Paktika province.
Following the US withdrawal in 2021, he was among thousands evacuated amid fears of retaliation by the Taliban.
In the United States, he reportedly rebuilt his life quietly, working at a halal market and supporting his family.
For many within the Afghan American community, his death represents more than an isolated incident.
“Whatever one’s views on immigration policy, this is someone who stood with US forces and later built a life as a father and neighbour,” a statement from the Afghan American Foundation said.
This comes at a time when immigration enforcement has intensified, with a growing number of asylum seekers and refugees being placed in detention.
Analysts say the expansion of such measures has stretched detention systems and raised longstanding concerns about medical care and oversight.
Available figures indicate that the population of immigration detainees has surged significantly in recent months, reflecting a broader push to tighten enforcement.
Advocacy organisations argue that the impact has been particularly severe for Afghans who resettled in the US after the war, many of whom now face legal uncertainty following policy changes affecting visas and asylum processing.
Calls are mounting for an independent investigation into Paktyawal’s death, with rights groups insisting that the circumstances must be fully examined.
For his family, the loss remains difficult to process.
“We cannot understand how this happened,” they said, repeating their plea for clarity as they mourn a man they insist was healthy, devoted and trying to rebuild his life.
According to the American Immigration Council, the number of people in ICE detention surged during Trump’s first year in office, increasing from 40,000 to 73,000 as of January 2026.
Afghans living in the US, meanwhile, have faced particular scrutiny from the Trump administration.
After an Afghan national shot two National Guard members in Washington, DC, in November 2025, killing one of the soldiers, the administration announced it was pausing the issuance of new visas to Afghan nationals, as well as halting decisions on asylum cases.
Even Afghans who worked alongside US forces or other organisations – a group that has traditionally had bipartisan support – have not been spared from the hardline policies.
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