A wave of grief and demands for accountability have emerged following the death of a former Afghan special forces soldier who passed away while in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Texas.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in Texas has formally called for a transparent and immediate investigation into the death of Nazir Paktiyawal, a 41-year-old father who was detained by immigration authorities on Friday morning.
According to the advocacy group AfghanEvac, Paktiyawal was taken into custody outside his home in the Dallas-Fort Worth area as he was preparing his children for school. Shortly after his detention, he contacted relatives to inform them he was feeling unwell. His condition rapidly deteriorated, and he was transferred to a local hospital, where he died just hours later.
The exact cause of death and the specific reasons for his detention have not yet been released by officials, a lack of clarity that CAIR is urgently seeking to rectify.
“Any individual taken into detention, regardless of their immigration status, must be treated with dignity, respect, and humanity,” said Mustafaa Carroll, executive director of CAIR-Texas, in a statement released Sunday. “We are calling on U.S. officials to conduct a full, transparent, and independent inquiry into both the circumstances that led to Mr. Paktiyawal’s detention and the events that resulted in his death while in custody.”
Paktiyawal’s story is one shared by thousands of Afghans who were brought to the United States after the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021. As a former member of the Afghan special forces, he had worked alongside American troops and, like many others, faced severe retaliation risks from the Taliban, making him eligible for special immigrant visas and evacuation.
Since arriving in the U.S., these evacuees have been navigating a complex and often precarious immigration process, many living under a humanitarian parole status that offers a temporary legal footing. However, advocacy groups report a noticeable uptick in the detention of Afghan asylum seekers in recent weeks, coinciding with a broader intensification of immigration enforcement measures.
AfghanEvac, a nonprofit organization dedicated to resettling at-risk Afghan allies, expressed deep sorrow over the incident and echoed CAIR’s calls for transparency. The group emphasized the immense stress and uncertainty faced by those who risked their lives for the U.S. mission, only to find themselves in legal limbo and, in some cases, detention.
“We are heartbroken,” an AfghanEvac spokesperson said. “Nazir dedicated his life to fighting alongside Americans. He deserved safety and stability, not this tragic end in an ICE detention center.”
The death has intensified concerns among migrant rights groups and veteran organizations about the treatment and mental health of Afghan evacuees. Many are suffering from the trauma of war, displacement, and the daunting process of building a new life under the shadow of potential deportation.
ICE and the Department of Homeland Security have not yet issued a public statement regarding the incident. CAIR and other groups are now urging federal authorities to expedite the investigation and release their findings to provide closure to Paktiyawal’s family and ensure that such a tragedy does not happen again.
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