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An Afghan father who served with U.S. forces died in immigration custody less than a day after being arrested in North Texas.
Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal’s family said he was in the country legally after serving alongside the U.S. military in Afghanistan and evacuating to the U.S. in 2021. According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the 41-year-old had a criminal history and his temporary legal status had expired.
Afghan father arrested by ICE in North Texas
Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal’s brother, Naseer Paktiawal, said that on March 13, while dropping off his kids at school, Nazeer Paktiawal was detained by ICE agents near his home in Richardson, Texas, and taken into custody.
“He was arrested in front of these kids while taking them to school at 7 in the morning. Some people surrounded him, put him in the car, and drove him away while they were screaming, asking for help,” Naseer Paktiawal said.
Less than 24 hours later, Naseer Paktiawal received a call that his brother was dead.
Immigration status and service with U.S. forces
When he arrived to the U.S. in 2021, according to ICE, Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal “was paroled into the U.S. by an immigration officer,” or given temporary permission to enter and remain in the U.S. under the Biden administration’s Operation Allies Refuge. The agency said he provided no record of his military service.
ICE said the duration of his parole expired on Aug. 20, 2025.
Naseer Paktiawal said his brother, a husband and father of six, had a pending immigration case.
According to his brother, before emigrating, Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal was hired by the U.S. government as a member of Afghan special forces and worked alongside them for over a decade.
“He was a hero to his family, to his people, and to his country,” Naseer Paktiawal said about his brother.
ICE confirms custody and hospitalization
ICE confirmed that Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal had been in custody for one day before he was declared dead at Parkland Hospital in Dallas.
In a statement, ICE confirmed that Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal was arrested on March 13. The agency also said that Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal had a criminal history, including being charged with SNAP fraud of $200 or more by the District Attorney’s office in Dallas on Sept. 16, 2025, and an arrest for theft on Nov. 1, 2025, for which he was released on bail. ICE said neither case had been heard by the time of his death.
ICE said when Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal was taken into custody, he “did not report any prior medical history.”
In the late evening of Friday, March 13, ICE said it contacted Emergency Medical Services when Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal began complaining of shortness of breath and chest pains while in an ICE Dallas Field Office processing hold room. ICE said Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal was taken to Parkland Hospital, where he received a breathing treatment and the ER doctor recommended that he stay in the hospital for observation.
Early on March 14, Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal was eating breakfast when medical staff noted that his tongue had become swollen, and he received an epinephrine drip, ICE said in its statement.
According to ICE, later that day, medical staff began cardiopulmonary resuscitation. After multiple lifesaving efforts were attempted, he was declared dead at 9:10 a.m. ICE said Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal’s death is under investigation.
“All I want,” said Naseer Paktiawal, “I want justice for my brother. I don’t need anything else from this government.”
“This tragedy comes during the final days of Ramadan, the most sacred time of the month when Muslims reflect on mercy and justice,” said Mustafaa Carroll, the DFW Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations – Texas. “Detention does not erase a person’s humanity. Every individual in custody must be treated with dignity, safety, and respect. We call on authorities to ensure a full and transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding Mr. Paktiawal’s detention and death.”
“No one in ICE custody is denied access to proper medical care,” Department of Homeland Security Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement. “It is a longstanding practice to provide comprehensive medical care from the moment an alien enters ICE custody. This includes medical, dental, and mental health services as available, and access to medical appointments and 24-hour emergency care. This is the best healthcare that [sic] many aliens have received in their entire lives.”
CBS News Texas has not yet been able to confirm the criminal history information provided by ICE.
The community has started a fundraising campaign to help pay for funeral expenses and support the family during this time.
