Afghan Asylum Seeker Dies in ICE Custody Amid Controversy Over Detention

US Asylum Seeker Dies After Detention by Immigration Agents

A 41-year-old Afghan asylum seeker, Mohommad Nazeer Paktyawal, has died less than 24 hours after being taken into custody by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Paktyawal was detained on March 13 as he left to drop his children off at school.

According to reports, Paktyawal had complained of shortness of breath and chest pains while being processed, leading to his hospitalization. Medical staff later noticed that his tongue was swelling, prompting multiple lifesaving efforts before he was declared deceased at 9:10am on March 14.

Paktyawal’s family described him as a “loving husband and father” with six children who worked at a halal market and bakery near his home in Richardson, Texas. The AfghanEvac advocacy group stated that Paktyawal’s children watched as he was surrounded and taken away from them before being hospitalized.

ICE has released a statement regarding the incident, stating that Paktyawal had been arrested by local authorities for alleged fraud and theft involving food benefits from the US Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). However, AfghanEvac founder Shawn VanDiver disputed this characterization, stating that Paktyawal was never charged or convicted.

Paktyawal’s death has sparked calls for a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding his detention. The Afghan-American Foundation and other advocacy groups have expressed concerns about the treatment of immigration detainees in the US, citing reports of increased detention of refugees and asylum seekers amid the Trump administration’s enforcement crackdown.

According to data from 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. Paktyawal’s death is one of several incidents highlighting concerns about the treatment and care of asylum seekers and refugees in US custody.

Source: Al Jazeera