An Afghan immigrant who worked with the U.S. military in Afghanistan died less than 24 hours after being detained in Texas by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a U.S. advocacy group and a family friend said Sunday.
Mohommad Nazeer Paktyawal, 41, died of unknown causes Saturday, a day after he was taken into custody outside his apartment complex in the Dallas suburb of Richardson.
In a statement Sunday, ICE described Paktyawal as a “criminal illegal alien from Afghanistan” and said his death was under investigation.
Paktyawal, a father of six who had applied for U.S. asylum, was about to take his children to school Friday morning when he was surrounded by masked men who drove up and put him in handcuffs, Rahmanullah Zazy, a family friend and leader in the local Afghan community, told NBC News in an interview.
“His kids started crying and yelling, you know, screaming,” Zazy said, leading Paktyawal’s wife to come out on the balcony and plead in vain with the agents not to take him away.
Speaking to relatives from ICE custody later that day, Paktyawal — who had no known health issues — said he was not feeling well. In a statement, his family said they were told he was admitted to hospital late Friday, and then told Saturday morning that he had died.
AfghanEvac, a San Diego-based group that advocates for Afghan allies, called for an immediate investigation, saying it was “not normal” for a healthy 41-year-old to die so suddenly in federal custody.
“Mr. Paktyawal survived our war in Afghanistan and trusted the United States enough to rebuild his life here,” Shawn VanDiver, the group’s president, said in a statement. “His family deserves answers. The American public deserves answers. The U.S. service members who fought alongside Afghan partners deserve answers.”
Paktyawal is at least the 12th person this year to die in ICE custody under President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, compared with more than 30 last year, the highest in two decades.
ICE said in its statement 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.”
Late Friday, officials said, Paktyawal began complaining of shortness of breath and chest pains while at an ICE field office in Dallas, upon which he was immediately taken to Parkland Hospital. He received breathing treatment and doctors recommended that he stay overnight for observation.
Early Saturday, the statement said, Paktyawal was eating breakfast when medical staff noticed his tongue had become swollen, “prompting a medical response.” He was declared dead at 9:10 a.m. after multiple lifesaving attempts.
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, Zazy said. NBC News approached ICE for comment on this but had not received a response overnight.
The ICE statement did not mention Paktyawal’s military service. He was an Afghan special forces soldier who worked with U.S. Army Special Forces in Paktika province starting in 2005.
“It was dangerous work, but he believed in helping bring stability to his country and protecting the people around him,” his family said.
The U.S. government evacuated Paktyawal and his family from Afghanistan in August 2021, amid the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces and the Taliban’s return to power.
According to AfghanEvac, Paktyawal worked at an Afghan halal market in the Dallas area and was the primary provider for his wife and children, the youngest of whom is 18 months old.
“His children adored him, and he worked hard every day to take care of them and build a future for them in the United States,” his family said.
Since returning to office last year, Trump has severely restricted U.S. entry for Afghan nationals, including those who worked with the U.S. military and their families, citing security concerns. AfghanEvac and other advocacy groups say those approved for U.S. resettlement undergo extensive vetting.
On Saturday, Zazy said, more than 100 members of the Afghan community gathered outside the hospital in Dallas, asking to see Paktyawal’s body. Hospital officials told them it could not be released pending an autopsy, he said.
As they wait for answers, members of his community are fearful, said Zazy, who also worked with the U.S. military in Afghanistan for more than 10 years.
“We support this country. We help this country. When we see this kind of incident, our families, we don’t feel safe,” he said.
Zazy said the community wants justice, which comes down to one word: “Stop.”
“They have to stop arresting Afghan people,” he said.
