Dallas Family Seeks Answers Following Death of Afghan Immigrant in ICE Custody
DALLAS — Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has not yet disclosed the cause of death of Mohammad Nazir Pakhtiawar, a 41-year-old Afghan immigrant who passed away under their custody.
Pakhtiawar was apprehended by ICE on March 13 while he was dropping his children off at school. He died the following day at a hospital in Dallas.
“I just want answers for my dad,” stated his son, Imraine Paktiawar, 12, told CBS News from Richardson, Texas. “That’s it. I want to know why he died. He was healthy.”
Pakhtiawar was the twelfth individual to die in ICE custody this year. In total, 31 ICE detainees lost their lives in 2022, marking the highest number in two decades, according to a CBS News analysis of agency reports and notices.
Nasir Pakhtiawar, his brother, took responsibility for handling the arrangements following his brother’s death. He recounted the distressing moment when family members observed Pakhtiawar’s arrest. “My sister-in-law called me, saying, ‘Some people came out of nowhere and took your brother,'” he relayed.
Nasir lamented the lack of information surrounding the detention, expressing frustration at how the situation unfolded. “They just put him in the car and drove off,” Nasir said, recalling his brother’s children in distress, pleading for answers. “No one answered those children.”
According to ICE, Pakhtiawar arrived in the United States in August 2021 under a humanitarian parole program designed to allow certain immigrants to live and work temporarily in the country. This policy was leveraged by the Biden administration to welcome many Afghans evacuated after the Taliban’s takeover. ICE indicated that Pakhtiawar’s parole status is set to expire on August 20, 2025.
ICE also noted that Pakhtiawar had been arrested twice in the Dallas area on local fraud and theft charges during the previous year; however, the district attorney confirmed he had not been convicted of any crimes by the time of his death. The charges included allegations of stealing groceries from a Walmart store.
Nevertheless, Nasir argued that these arrests do not capture the full narrative of his brother’s life. He emphasized Pakhtiawar’s military service, claiming he served for a decade alongside U.S. forces in Afghanistan prior to his evacuation.
“My brother was a wartime hero, a soldier, a warrior alongside the U.S. military,” Nasir asserted, adding that his brother was involved with special forces in perilous regions of Afghanistan.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated there is no record of Pakhtiawar serving with the U.S. military, but Nasir provided documents and badges to CBS News that he claimed as evidence of his brother’s contributions alongside American soldiers.
Nasir insisted that his family entered the U.S. through legal means, asserting that they underwent the necessary procedures. “He did not cross the border; his entire family has legally gone through all the systems,” he said.
The circumstances surrounding Pakhtiawar’s death remain unclear. According to ICE, he began to exhibit symptoms of shortness of breath and chest pain while in the processing area at the ICE Dallas Field Office. He was promptly transported to Parkland Health Hospital, where he remained under observation. The following morning, while eating breakfast, medical staff noted swelling in his tongue, and despite several attempts to save him, he was pronounced dead at 9:10 a.m.
On the day of his arrest, Nasir spoke with Pakhtiawar and recalled him expressing unease. “The first thing I heard from him was, ‘Nasir, I don’t know where I am, I don’t feel well,'” he recounted. Nasir then asked to speak with the immigration officer to ensure his brother received help.
Nasir described the immigration officer’s response, stating that he assured him, “Don’t worry… there’s a nurse, we’ll take care of him,” before ending the call. Yet, the family has yet to receive information regarding the cause of Pakhtiawar’s death, which ICE claims remains under investigation.
Amid the uncertainty, Imraine expressed profound sadness over her father’s absence. “He was a good father… He was a hero, and he will always be a hero,” she said.
