An Afghan asylum-seeker who worked with the U.S. military during the war in Afghanistan died on Saturday after he was detained in Texas by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Mohommad Nazeer Paktyawal, 41, was living outside Dallas with his wife and six children, the youngest of whom is 18 months old, while his asylum case remained pending. He was arrested on Friday morning by federal authorities outside his apartment while taking his children to school, Shawn VanDiver, president of the veteran-led group AfghanEvac, said in a statement.
Paktyawal, 41, died on Saturday morning at the Parkland Hospital in Dallas after being in custody for one day, ICE said in a statement announcing his death, which they say is "currently under active investigation." He is at least the 12th person to die this year in ICE custody.
AfghanEvac said that Paktyawal was an Afghan special forces soldier who worked with U.S. Army Special Forces, including partnering with 3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), in Paktika province starting in 2005, and worked with U.S. forces for over a decade.
"For many years, Nazeer worked alongside American forces during the war in Afghanistan. It was dangerous work, but he believed in helping bring stability to his country and protecting the people around him," his family said in a statement, via AfghanEvac. "After Afghanistan fell, the United States helped evacuate our family in 2021, and we came here hoping for safety and a better life."
ICE's statement said Paktyawal entered the country at Washington Dulles International Airport (which they erroneously said was in Maryland) on Aug. 21, 2021, and he was "paroled into the U.S. by an immigration officer" and "the duration of his parole expired Aug. 20, 2025."
Paktyawal was resettled through Catholic Charities, and he held a work authorization and a Social Security number, according to AfghanEvac.
AfghanEvac is calling for an immediate and transparent investigation into the circumstances of Paktyawal's detention, medical care, and death.
"The United States made a promise to the Afghans who stood with us. Honoring that promise requires transparency, accountability, and dignity in how they are treated here at home," the organization's statement read. "This moment demands nothing less."
Late on Friday evening, "ICE contacted Emergency Medical Services when Paktyawal began complaining of shortness of breath and chest pains while in an ICE Dallas Field Office processing hold room," the ICE statement read.
On Saturday morning, medical staff noted Paktyawal's tongue had become swollen, "prompting a medical response," and despite multiple lifesaving efforts, he was declared dead at 9:10 a.m. on Saturday, the statement said.
“Mr. Paktyawal survived our war in Afghanistan and trusted the United States enough to rebuild his life here,” VanDiver 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.”
The ICE statement called Paktyawal a "criminal illegal alien," saying he had a "known criminal history," which included an arrest for SNAP fraud, a felony, in September 2025 and theft in November 2025. ICE said his arrest came as part of a targeted enforcement action and that he "did not report any prior medical history."
AfghanEvac said the arrests did not result in criminal charges, and Paktyawal had not been convicted of any crimes. His family disputed the accuracy of that information on his 2025 arrests, per NBC News.