As ICE custody deaths hit record high, Afghan refugee is latest to die

2 days ago 10

Dallas — On March 13, Afghan migrant Naseer Paktiawal received a telephone from Immigration and Custom Enforcement, which had conscionable arrested his member successful North Texas. The archetypal happening his member told him was that helium wasn't feeling well.

"I told [the agent] my member needs help. He's not feeling good. He's feeling symptom successful his body," helium told CBS News successful Richardson, Texas. "He told me, don't interest astir it. We person a nurse. We volition instrumentality attraction of him. And helium hung up the telephone connected me."

Less than 24 hours later, helium was told his brother, 41-year-old Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal, had died.

Paktiawal, who was evacuated from Afghanistan during the U.S. subject withdrawal from the state successful the summertime of 2021, is the twelfth idiosyncratic to dice this twelvemonth portion successful ICE custody. That's aft 31 ICE detainees died successful 2025, a two-decade high, according to a CBS News information analysis. By this constituent past year, 4 ICE detainees had died.

The rising decease toll comes arsenic ICE's detention population deed grounds highs amid President Trump's assertive crackdown connected amerciable immigration. As of aboriginal February, ICE was holding much than 68,000 radical successful detention centers crossed the U.S., bureau figures show.

But adjacent aft accounting for the fig of radical successful detention each year, 2025 inactive had the highest decease complaint — 5.6 radical per 10,000 detainees — since 2020, erstwhile the COVID-19 pandemic hit, a CBS News investigation found.

Paktiawal had nary pre-existing aesculapian conditions, according to his household and ICE, and his abrupt decease is inactive nether investigation. His household said helium fought alongside the U.S. subject successful Afghanistan for astir a decade.

"He was a hero," Imrain Paktiawal, 12, 1 of his sons, told CBS News. "And helium volition beryllium ever a hero."

Paktiawal is the archetypal Afghan nationalist to dice successful ICE custody since 2008. ICE stated Paktiawal was arrested successful a targeted enforcement cognition aft section arrests connected charges of fraud and theft. Those cases had not been adjudicated astatine the clip of his death, according to section officials.

In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security said Paktiawal entered the U.S. legally done the parole migration policy, which allows officials to rapidly admit immigrants connected humanitarian grounds. But DHS said that status, which is impermanent successful nature, expired past August.

ICE detains radical the authorities is seeking to deport, specified arsenic those accused of being successful the U.S. illegally and different noncitizens determined to beryllium deportable, including due to the fact that of transgression offenses.

ICE detention facilities person agelong been criticized for providing inadequate aesculapian care. In caller months, legislature Democrats person alleged human rights abuses, including aesculapian neglect, successful ICE detention, and demanded much oversight from the Department of Homeland Security. Multiple groups person filed lawsuits alleging inhumane conditions successful ICE detention.

ICE has repeatedly denied reports of substandard conditions astatine its detention sites.

Some detainees who died past twelvemonth complained to household members earlier their deaths that they were incapable to get due care.

Isidro Perez, who was 75 and had bosom illness erstwhile helium was arrested successful Key Largo, Florida, past June, told his erstwhile spouse helium was having thorax pains and wasn't getting his medicine portion successful detention. ICE's report connected Perez alleged a doc ordered his medicine portion successful detention. Perez died connected June 26, 3 weeks aft helium was detained.

Maksym Chernyak, a Ukrainian nationalist who died successful February 2025 of a stroke, told his woman and cellmate that helium was refused contiguous aesculapian attraction and medicine contempt showing symptoms including bosom palpitations and humor successful his stool, according to Human Rights Watch.

ICE's ain decease reports besides amusement instances of delayed care. Brayan Rayo-Garzon, a 27 twelvemonth aged from Colombia who died by termination successful April 2025, had a intelligence wellness assignment that was rescheduled twice. Before helium had the appointment, helium was recovered unresponsive successful his cell. Leo Cruz Silva was 34 erstwhile helium died by termination past October, 2 days aft ICE aesculapian unit documented helium was experiencing a intelligence wellness crisis.

Rayo-Garzon and Cruz Silva are among six detainees who died of evident suicides since the commencement of 2025. Another detainee's decease was ruled a homicide: ICE agents held 55-year aged Campos Lunas down until helium stopped breathing. An ICE study connected his decease stated guards were intervening to forestall him from harming himself.

ICE has agelong denied allegations that it provides inadequate aesculapian care. With each decease the bureau announces, it states that "Comprehensive aesculapian attraction is provided from the infinitesimal individuals get and passim the entirety of their stay."

"This is the champion healthcare that galore aliens person received successful their full lives," ICE wrote successful aggregate press releases.

But Naseer Paktiawal believes his member would inactive beryllium live contiguous had helium not been arrested.

"I privation the reply for his children, for my family, for this community," helium said. "What happened to my brother?"

In: