An Afghan national who assisted U.S. military forces and later pursued asylum in the United States died in federal custody less than a day after his arrest in Texas, according to a veteran-led advocacy organization.
Mohammad Nazeer Paktyawal, 41, who lived in a Dallas suburb with his wife and six children while his asylum claim remained unresolved, was detained by federal agents on a Friday morning as he accompanied his children to school, the advocacy group AfghanEvac said in a statement. The group’s president, Shawn VanDiver, reported that Paktyawal was taken to a Dallas hospital the night of his arrest and was still alive the next morning but died shortly thereafter.
VanDiver said the official cause of death is unknown. "It is highly unusual for an otherwise healthy 41-year-old man to die less than a day after being taken into government custody," he said. AfghanEvac has demanded an immediate investigation into the circumstances surrounding Paktyawal’s death.
Paktyawal had served as a member of Afghan special forces and worked alongside U.S. Army Special Forces beginning in 2005, according to the advocacy group. He and his family were evacuated from Afghanistan in 2021 when U.S. forces withdrew. In the Dallas area he worked at an Afghan halal market and served as the primary provider for his family, which included an 18-month-old child. VanDiver said the family had been residing in Richardson, Texas.
Advocates framed the death within the broader context of rising detention numbers and policy changes under the current U.S. administration. Paktyawal is at least the 12th person reported to have died in ICE detention this year amid what advocates describe as an intensified immigration enforcement effort. Last year, 31 individuals died after being held by ICE, the highest total in two decades, the group noted.
Detention levels have increased as well. ICE held approximately 68,000 people in custody as of early February, officials reported. In addition, agencies have overseen resettlement programs: more than 70,000 Afghans entered the United States under Operation Allies Welcome following the Taliban takeover of Kabul in 2021.
Policy actions affecting Afghans in the United States have continued to evolve. U.S. agencies under the current administration have moved to end temporary protected status that was previously granted on humanitarian grounds to roughly 14,600 Afghans, a change that could subject them to deportation proceedings.
The Department of Homeland Security, which includes ICE, said it needed more time to provide a response to requests for comment. AfghanEvac and other advocates have pressed for transparency and a swift inquiry into Paktyawal’s death given the short time between arrest and passing.
Context and reaction
Family members and community advocates have emphasized Paktyawal’s role as a former interpreter and soldier who worked with U.S. forces and his contributions to his household in the Dallas area. The suddenness of his death while in federal custody has prompted calls for detailed public accounting from immigration authorities and medical examiners.
Federal agencies have not yet provided a public explanation for the cause of death, and advocates say that transparency is essential to determine whether procedural or medical lapses contributed to the outcome.
What is known
- Mohammad Nazeer Paktyawal, 41, died on a Saturday less than 24 hours after being detained in Texas.
- He had worked with U.S. Army Special Forces since 2005 and was evacuated with his family in 2021.
- Paktyawal was living in Richardson, Texas, and worked in the Dallas area at an Afghan halal market.
- He is reported to be at least the 12th person to die in ICE custody so far this year; 31 people died in ICE detention last year.