Afghan Parolee and Former Afghan Soldier Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal Dies in ICE Custody as 2026 Detention Deaths Mount
Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal, a former Afghan soldier who fought alongside U.S. forces and was evacuated to the U.S. in 2021, died in ICE custody; his family say he complained about his health before his death and both relatives and ICE report he had no known preexisting medical conditions. His brother and 12‑year‑old son are demanding answers as his death — the first Afghan national to die in ICE custody since 2008 — occurs amid a surge in detention deaths (31 in 2025, the highest in over two decades, and 13 in the first three months of 2026) that has prompted allegations of systemic medical neglect which ICE disputes.
đź“Ś Key Facts
- Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal, an Afghan parolee and former Afghan military soldier who fought alongside U.S. forces and was evacuated to the U.S. in 2021, has died in ICE custody.
- Family members and ICE say Paktiawal had no known pre‑existing medical conditions; his brother says Paktiawal complained about his health while detained, and his brother and 12‑year‑old son have publicly demanded answers and transparency about his sudden death.
- ICE has issued on‑camera/public statements responding to Paktiawal’s death, reiterating the agency’s position on his medical care and detention conditions.
- Paktiawal is the first Afghan national to die in ICE custody since 2008.
- CBS reports that 2025 saw 31 deaths in ICE custody—the highest annual total in more than two decades—with a death rate of 5.6 per 10,000 detainees, the highest since 2020 even after adjusting for population.
- CBS updated that 13 people died in ICE detention in the first three months of 2026; earlier reporting noted 12 deaths by a similar point this year versus four deaths at the same point last year, and that ICE was holding more than 68,000 detainees as of early February amid intensified enforcement.
- Reporting documents multiple 2025 death cases (including Isidro Perez, Maksym Chernyak and Brayan Rayo‑Garzon) in which families or ICE records describe delayed or inadequate medical care, such as 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 as agency death reports have shown instances of delayed care.
đź“Š Relevant Data
In 2025, all 32 individuals who died in ICE custody were male, while males comprised approximately 80% of the working-age Latino detainee population, which forms a significant portion of overall detentions.
2025 was ICE's deadliest year in two decades. Here are the 32 people who died in custody — The Guardian
In 2025, Mexicans accounted for 7 out of 32 (approximately 22%) ICE custody deaths, while representing about 27% of noncriminal Latino detainees in that year.
2025 was ICE's deadliest year in two decades. Here are the 32 people who died in custody — The Guardian
In 2025, 22 out of 32 ICE custody deaths were attributed to medical or natural causes, with several cases involving allegations of delayed or inadequate medical care.
2025 was ICE's deadliest year in two decades. Here are the 32 people who died in custody — The Guardian
In early 2026, reported ICE custody deaths included individuals from diverse nationalities such as Cuban, Nicaraguan, Cambodian, Mexican, and Honduran, all male, with ages ranging from 34 to 68.
US witnessed many ICE-related deaths in 2026. Here are their stories — Al Jazeera
đź“° Source Timeline (4)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- CBS piece confirms Paktiawal was a former soldier in the Afghan military who fought alongside U.S. forces and was evacuated to the U.S. in 2021.
- Article notes that 13 people have died in ICE detention in the first three months of 2026, updating the death toll figure and tying it explicitly to last year’s two‑decade high.
- Paktiawal’s brother and his 12‑year‑old son speak on camera, publicly demanding answers about his sudden death in custody, adding personal testimony and pressure on ICE for transparency.
- Identifies the deceased Afghan parolee by full name as Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal and notes he previously helped U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
- Reports that, according to his brother, Paktiawal complained about his health while in ICE custody before his death.
- Includes ICE’s on‑camera/public reaction to his death, expanding on or reiterating the agency’s position on his medical care and detention conditions.
- 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.