An Afghan national who served alongside the U.S. military in Afghanistan died less than 24 hours after being detained in North Texas by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to a family friend and a U.S. advocacy group.
Mohammed Nazeer Paktiawal, 41, died of unknown causes on Mar. 14, a day after he was apprehended outside his residence in an apartment complex located in Dallas. According to Paktiawal’s family, Paktiawal was in the country legally after serving in Afghanistan and evacuating to the U.S. in 2021.
In a statement issued on Sunday, ICE deemed Paktiawal as a “criminal illegal alien from Afghanistan.”
According to the agency, Paktiawal "was paroled into the U.S. by an immigration officer" during his arrival under the Biden administration's 'Operation Allies Refuge.'
ICE stated that Paktiawal’s temporary legal status expired on August 20, 2025, and added that he provided no record of his military service, while also noting that Paktiawal had a prior criminal background.
The federal agency has confirmed that his death is under investigation.
Naseer Paktiawal, Mohammed’s brother, revealed that on Mar. 13, Mohammed was detained by ICE officers and taken into custody while dropping off his kids at school.
"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.
“His kids started crying and yelling, you know, screaming,” Rahmanullah Zazy, a family friend and local Afghan community leader, said.
AfghanEvac, a San Diego-based group that advocates for Afghan allies, responded to the situation, calling for an immediate investigation. The group stated it was “not normal” for a healthy 41-year-old to die so suddenly in federal custody.
“Mr. Paktyawal survived our war in Afghanistan and trusted the United States enough to rebuild his life here,” Shawn VanDiver, the group’s president, said in a statement. “His family deserves answers. The American public deserves answers. The U.S. service members who fought alongside Afghan partners deserve answers.”
