A Richardson man, Mohammad Nazeer Paktyawal, died a day after being taken into U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. Paktyawal, a 41-year-old father of six, was detained by ICE officers outside his Richardson apartment in March.
Background
Paktyawal came to the United States seeking asylum in 2021 after serving alongside U.S. troops as an Afghan Special Forces soldier. According to the Department of Homeland Security, Paktyawal told family members he was not feeling well after his medical intake examination at the Dallas field office. He later complained of shortness of breath and chest pain and was taken to Parkland Hospital, where he died the following morning.
A recently released death certificate lists anaphylaxis complicating asthma as the cause of death, with methamphetamine use as a contributing factor. However, Paktyawal’s loved ones have questioned the information contained in the death certificate, stating they never knew him to use drugs.
Call for Answers
U.S. Rep. Julie Johnson of Texas and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut are calling on ICE to release the full autopsy report. Blumenthal expressed concerns that withholding the records raises suspicions of a cover-up.
Original reporting: Dallas TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
