Mohammad Nazeer Paktyawal

On March 14, 2026, 41-year-old Afghan refugee Mohmammad Nazeer Paktyawal died at Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas, less than 24 hours after being taken into Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. His death made him the 12th person to die under ICE detention in 2026.

Background Paktyawal was a father of six who fought alongside U.S. forces during the 2001–2021 Afghanistan War as an Afghan special forces member since 2005 and was evacuated from the country during the 2021 Fall of Kabul. At the time of his death, U.S. government alleged that there had been no record of this service. However, advocates would push against this claim. ICE stated that his parole ended on August 20, 2025. ICE's statement volunteered the opinion that the agency does not withhold medical care from people in its custody. After his death, Paktyawal's body was later returned to his community's mosque in Richardson, Texas on March 17.

In July 2026, Paktyawal's death certificate showed that he had died due to an "adverse drug reaction" to an unidentified substance, causing him to experience anaphylaxis. His death was also ruled as an accident.

The Afghan-American Foundation called for a "full investigation" into his death, stating that: "Whatever one’s views on immigration policy, a man who served alongside US forces for over a decade, who was evacuated to the US with legal status, who was raising his family here, who was living the life of a neighbor and a dad, deserved to be treated with dignity. He deserved basic, adequate care. He deserved to survive." Kellman also stated that Paktyawal's death was part of an increasing number of deaths in ICE detention centers.