Afghan Ally Who Fought With US Forces Dies in ICE Custody
An Afghan national who served alongside U.S. Special Forces for a decade has died from an allergic reaction while in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), one day after being detained at his Texas home. The death has sparked renewed scrutiny of medical care inside the nation’s expanding immigration detention system.
Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal, 41, a father of six, died on March 14 at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas. According to his death certificate, obtained by NBC News, he suffered “an adverse drug reaction” to an unidentified substance, which triggered anaphylaxis and exacerbated his asthma. The Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the death an accident.
A Decade of Service, a Single Day in Custody
Paktiawal was evacuated from Afghanistan alongside thousands of others when U.S. troops withdrew in 2021. He entered the United States legally and had a pending asylum application when ICE agents arrested him at his home in Richardson, Texas, on March 13 as he prepared his children for school.
ICE has defended its decision to detain Paktiawal, citing his arrest on food stamp fraud and theft charges — neither of which had resulted in a conviction. During the arrest, Paktiawal’s wife attempted to give agents his asthma inhaler, but they refused to accept it, according to advocates.
Hours after being screened at ICE’s Dallas field office — where he denied any medical conditions or allergies — Paktiawal began experiencing shortness of breath and chest pain in a holding room and was transported to the hospital. The following morning, hospital staff noted swelling of his tongue while he ate breakfast and administered epinephrine. He was pronounced dead approximately 40 minutes later after life-saving measures failed.
Questions of Transparency and Accountability
The death certificate lists the toxic effects of methamphetamine, heart disease, and cigarette smoking as contributing factors. However, relatives told the Associated Press they did not know Paktiawal to use methamphetamine, and a second autopsy performed for the family could not confirm or rule out the substance because no blood remained for testing.
“What accident are they talking about? We just want the truth,” Naseer Paktiawal, the deceased’s younger brother, said in an interview.
Dallas County authorities have refused to release the full autopsy report, citing a pending criminal investigation. They have asked Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office for permission to withhold the record under a “law enforcement exception” to the state’s open records law. As reported by The Texas Tribune, Paxton’s office previously granted a similar request from another Texas county to withhold the autopsy report of a Vietnamese man who died in ICE custody in July 2025.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) has called on the Department of Homeland Security to release the autopsy. “What’s happening here smacks of a cover-up,” Blumenthal said.
Shawn VanDiver, president of AfghanEvac, an advocacy group supporting Afghan allies, echoed the demand for transparency. “This family has a right to know what happened,” he said, asking authorities to explain what substance triggered the reaction, how it entered Paktiawal’s system, and why the death certificate lists the “date of injury” as March 12 — one day before he was taken into custody.
A Broader Crisis in Detention
Paktiawal’s death is the first among more than 50 ICE detention deaths during President Donald Trump’s second term to be ruled an accident, according to AP tracking. Most others have been attributed to natural causes or suicide.
A June 25 report by Human Rights Watch and Physicians for Human Rights found that the mortality rate in ICE custody has risen 140% during the current administration, even as the detained population has surged 77% to over 71,000 people. The report, titled “Dying in Detention,” documented inadequate medical care, lack of oversight, and chronic failures to publicly report deaths in a timely manner.
What Comes Next
Advocates and lawmakers are pressing for the release of Paktiawal’s autopsy report as a first step toward accountability. The case highlights the precarious situation of Afghan allies who risked their lives alongside U.S. forces but now face detention and potential deportation after resettlement.
Paktiawal’s brother remembered him as a special forces soldier who fought in the most dangerous parts of Afghanistan before becoming a truck driver and bakery worker in Texas, laboring long hours to support his family.
“He was not a violent criminal,” said U.S. Rep. Julie Johnson, a Democrat who represents parts of Dallas County. “He was working as a baker. He was providing for his family and contributing to our economy.”
The Texas Attorney General’s office has not yet ruled on whether the autopsy report can be withheld. For the Paktiawal family, the wait for answers continues.