Afghan Parolee Dies One Day After ICE Detention as Custody Deaths Hit Two‑Decade High
An Afghan parolee, identified as Paktiawal, died one day after being taken into ICE custody; both his family and ICE say he had no known pre‑existing medical conditions, and he is the first Afghan national to die in ICE detention since 2008. His death comes amid a sharp rise in custody fatalities — 31 deaths in 2025 (a rate of 5.6 per 10,000 detainees), the highest in more than two decades, with 12 deaths so far this year versus four at the same point last year as ICE holds more than 68,000 detainees — and multiple families and records allege delayed or inadequate medical care while ICE disputes claims of systemic substandard conditions.
📌 Key Facts
- In 2025 there were 31 deaths in ICE custody—the highest annual total in more than two decades—and a death rate of 5.6 per 10,000 detainees, the highest since 2020 even after adjusting for population.
- Year-to-date, 12 people have died in ICE custody versus four deaths at the same point last year; ICE was holding more than 68,000 detainees in early February amid an intensified enforcement push under the Trump administration.
- The most recent case involved an Afghan parolee (Paktiawal) who died one day after being taken into ICE detention; both his family and ICE say he had no known pre‑existing medical conditions, and he is the first Afghan national to die in ICE custody since 2008.
- Reporting documents multiple other 2025 death cases (including Isidro Perez, Maksym Chernyak and Brayan Rayo‑Garzon) in which families or ICE records describe delayed or inadequate medical care, including missed or repeatedly rescheduled mental‑health appointments.
- Congressional Democrats and advocacy groups allege systemic medical neglect and human‑rights abuses in ICE detention; ICE publicly denies substandard conditions even though its own death reports note delays in care.
📊 Relevant Data
In 2025, immigrants with no criminal record became the largest group in ICE detention, highlighting that a significant portion of detentions are due to immigration status issues rather than criminal convictions.
Immigrants with no criminal record now largest group in Ice detention — Congress.gov
Approximately 133,000 Afghans have been granted humanitarian parole since 2021, with many facing potential detention and deportation upon expiration of their temporary status if not extended.
TPS-And-Humanitarian-Parole-Numbers.NFAP-Policy-Brief.2024.pdf — National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP)
ICE detention facility inspections dropped by 36.25% in 2025, coinciding with surging detentions and a record number of in-custody deaths.
ICE Inspections Plummeted as Detentions Soared in 2025 — Project On Government Oversight (POGO)
In 2025, the most common nationalities among deported migrants by ICE were Mexican, Guatemalan, and Honduran, reflecting the demographic composition of recent border crossings and detentions.
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Confirms that 2025 saw 31 deaths in ICE custody, the highest annual total in more than two decades, and a death rate of 5.6 per 10,000 detainees, the highest since 2020 even after adjusting for population.
- Reports that 12 people have already died in ICE custody so far this year, versus four deaths by the same point last year, with ICE holding more than 68,000 detainees as of early February under Trump’s intensified enforcement push.
- Provides additional detail that Paktiawal had no known pre‑existing medical conditions according to both family and ICE and that he is the first Afghan national to die in ICE custody since 2008.
- Documents multiple other 2025 death cases (Isidro Perez, Maksym Chernyak, Brayan Rayo‑Garzon) where families or ICE records describe delayed or inadequate medical care, including missed or repeatedly rescheduled mental‑health appointments.
- Notes that congressional Democrats and advocacy groups have recently alleged systemic medical neglect and human‑rights abuses in ICE detention, and that ICE publicly denies substandard conditions despite its own death reports showing delays in care.