HOUSTON (AP) — Mohommad Nazeer Paktyawal, a 41-year-old Afghan immigrant who had worked with U.S. forces, died Saturday at a Texas hospital after being detained by immigration authorities.
Paktyawal was taken into custody on Friday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on allegations of committing fraud against SNAP, the government's food aid program, and theft. His family is shocked by the news, insisting he was healthy before his detention.
According to ICE, Paktyawal began experiencing shortness of breath and chest pains shortly after his arrest. He was transferred to Parkland Hospital, where he died on Saturday morning despite attempted lifesaving measures.
ICE is investigating his death, with a cause pending determination. This case raises serious concerns regarding the treatment and medical care available to immigrants in ICE custody.
Paktyawal had arrived in the United States as a refugee after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan following the U.S. troop withdrawal. He lived in Richardson, a suburb of Dallas, with his wife and six children while his asylum application was in process.
This tragic incident contributes to alarming statistics regarding immigrant deaths in detention. Reports indicate that the number of deaths in ICE custody has risen in recent years, prompting calls for improved oversight and a reevaluation of detention policies.
As the investigation unfolds, advocates for immigrant rights are urging for greater transparency and accountability within ICE and calling attention to the need for better health care provisions for detainees.
Paktyawal’s family is left searching for answers and coping with the loss of their loved one, who they say was simply trying to secure a better future for his family.
