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Dallas — The household of an Afghan immigrant who died sooner or later after being taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Texas says it has acquired no solutions as to what prompted the person’s loss of life.
Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal, 41, was detained by ICE on March 13 whereas on the point of take his youngsters to highschool. He died the next day in a Dallas hospital.
“I simply need solutions for my dad,” 12-year-old Imrain Paktiawal, Paktiawal’s son, advised CBS Information in Richardson, Texas. “That is it. I wish to know why he died. He was wholesome.”
The daddy of six is the twelfth individual to die in ICE custody to this point this yr. Thirty-one ICE detainees died final yr, a two-decade excessive, in accordance with a CBS Information evaluation of company studies and notices.
Naseer Paktiawal advised CBS Information he acquired his brother’s physique on Tuesday.
“I acquired a name from my sister-in-law,” Naseer mentioned of the morning his brother was taken into ICE custody. “She say that, ‘Some folks present up from nowhere, and so they simply took your brother.'”
Naseer mentioned the household acquired no rationalization as to why Paktiawal was detained.
“Nothing, they only put him of their automobile and drove away,” Naseer mentioned. “His children had been screaming, asking for assist, asking query, ‘Who’re you guys? Why are you guys arresting my father, my dad?’ Nobody answered these youngsters.”
In an announcement offered to CBS Information, ICE mentioned Paktiawal was dropped at the U.S. in August 2021 by way of an immigration coverage often known as parole, which permits sure immigrants to dwell and work within the U.S. briefly on humanitarian grounds. The Biden administration used the parole coverage to welcome tens of 1000’s of Afghans it evacuated from Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover. ICE mentioned Paktiawal’s parole standing expired on Aug. 20, 2025.
ICE additionally mentioned Paktiawal had been arrested twice final yr within the Dallas space on native fraud and theft prices. The Dallas County District Legal professional confirmed the arrests however mentioned he had not been convicted in both case as of the time of his loss of life. The theft arrest stemmed from an allegation that he stole groceries and different gadgets from a Walmart retailer, in accordance with the Garland, Texas, police division.
Naseer, nonetheless, mentioned the arrests do not inform the complete story of his brother’s life. He factors to Paktiawal’s service, which he mentioned included a decade within the Afghan army, preventing alongside American forces earlier than being evacuated to the U.S. in 2021.
“My brother, he was a wartime hero and he was a soldier, a warrior alongside with U.S. Military,” Naseer mentioned. “He was particular forces in essentially the most harmful locations in Afghanistan.”
In an announcement, DHS mentioned it “has no document of this particular person serving alongside American forces.” However Naseer confirmed CBS Information paperwork and a badge that he says are proof that Paktiawal fought alongside U.S. troopers in Afghanistan.
“These are the those who my brother was working (with), American troopers in Afghanistan,” Naseer mentioned.
Naseer mentioned his brother got here to the U.S. legally and was “interviewed, fingerprinted, screened.”
“He didn’t cross the border,” Naseer mentioned. “Legally went by way of all of the system, full all of the procedures, not simply him … his total household.”
It’s nonetheless unclear precisely what occurred after Paktiawal was detained. In line with the assertion from ICE, on the night time of March 13, Paktiawal was “instantly” taken to Parkland Well being hospital in Dallas after he “started complaining of shortness of breath and chest pains whereas in an ICE Dallas Area Workplace processing maintain room.”
ICE mentioned Paktiawal remained on the hospital “for statement,” and the next morning, he “was consuming breakfast when medical employees famous that his tongue had develop into swollen, prompting a medical response. After a number of lifesaving efforts had been tried, he was declared deceased at 9:10 a.m.”
Naseer mentioned he spoke to his brother by telephone on March 13, the day he was detained.
“The very first thing that I heard from him, he mentioned, ‘Naseer, I do not know the place am I proper now, and I am not feeling properly,'” Naseer mentioned of their dialog. “That is the primary phrase that I heard from him, ‘I am not feeling properly.’ I advised him, ‘OK, so let me speak to whoever that officer is.'”
Naseer mentioned his brother then handed the telephone to a federal immigration officer.
“And he hand over the telephone, and I advised him (the immigration officer) that my brother wants assist, he isn’t feeling good,” Naseer recounted. “He is … feeling ache in his physique. He (the officer) advised me, ‘Don’t be concerned about it … we have now nurse. We’ll maintain him.’ And he hold up the telephone on me.”
Naseer says the household nonetheless has not acquired solutions as to the reason for his brother’s loss of life. ICE mentioned the loss of life stays below investigation.
“No person’s answering to me that what occurred to my brother,” Naseer mentioned. “Why is he useless?”
In the meantime, Imrain says his father’s absence is tough to course of.
“He was dad … He was a hero, and he’ll all the time be a hero.”
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