Immigration & Detention Policy

Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal, an Afghan parolee who had helped U.S. forces and is the first Afghan national to die in ICE custody since 2008, died one day after being taken into ICE custody; his family and ICE say he had no known preexisting conditions, though his brother says he complained about his health while detained. His death comes amid a surge in ICE custody fatalities in 2025 — 31 deaths so far, the highest annual total in more than two decades and a death rate of 5.6 per 10,000 detainees — and renewed allegations from Democrats and advocacy groups of systemic medical neglect despite ICE’s denials and internal reports documenting delays or inadequate care.