Afghan asylum-seeker dies in ICE custody, US advocacy group says

An Afghan immigrant who previously worked with the U.S. military in Afghanistan and later sought asylum in the United States died this weekend in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody less than 24 hours after being detained in Texas, a U.S. veteran-led advocacy group said on Sunday.



Mohommad Nazeer Paktyawal, who was living in a Dallas suburb with his wife and six children while his asylum case remained pending, was arrested by federal agents outside his apartment on Friday morning while taking his children to school, AfghanEvac president Shawn VanDiver said in a statement. Paktyawal died of unknown causes on Saturday, VanDiver said.



Paktyawal, 41, is at least the 12th person to die in ICE detention this year under U.S. President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. Last year, 31 people died after being detained by ICE, a two-decade high. ICE has played a central role in Trump's policy of mass deportations.



In a statement on Sunday, ICE said Paktyawal was eating breakfast when medical staff noted that his tongue had become swollen, prompting a medical response. He was declared dead only after multiple attempts at resuscitation, the agency said.