Richardson father of 6, who served with U.S. forces, dies in ICE custody one day after arrest

DALLAS - An Afghan wartime ally and father of six died Saturday morning less than 24 hours after being taken into federal immigration custody in North Texas, according to family members and officials.

Paktyawal arrested by ICE in Richardson

What we know:

Mohommad Nazeer Paktyawal, 41, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) around 7 a.m. Friday, March 13. Family members say masked agents arrested him outside his Richardson home as he prepared to drive his children to school.

ICE characterized the arrest as a "targeted enforcement action," citing Paktyawal’s 2025 arrests for SNAP fraud and theft. While the agency pointed to this "criminal history" as the basis for his detention, records show Paktyawal was never convicted of those charges. ICE also noted his parole had expired in August 2025, advocates clarified that Paktyawal held valid work authorization and a pending asylum case at the time of his death.

Afghan wartime ally dies in police custody

Dig deeper:

Late Friday night, Paktyawal began complaining of chest pains and shortness of breath while being held at the ICE Dallas Field Office. He was transported to Parkland Hospital, where an ER doctor recommended he stay for observation.

On Saturday morning, hospital staff noticed Paktyawal’s tongue had become severely swollen while he was eating breakfast. Despite lifesaving efforts, he was pronounced dead at 9:10 a.m. The cause of death remains unknown.

‘His children adored him’

The backstory:

Paktyawal served alongside U.S. Army Special Forces for more than 10 years in Afghanistan before being evacuated to the U.S. in 2021. In Dallas, 'he worked to support his wife and six children,' the youngest of whom is an 18-month-old infant. 

"His children adored him, and he worked hard every day to take care of them and build a future for them in the United States," the family said in a statement shared by #AfghanEvac. "We are heartbroken and trying to process this loss."

The Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General has been called upon to conduct an independent investigation into the circumstances of Paktyawal’s detention and death.