Afghan asylum-seeker dies in ICE custody

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, Mohammad 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.



The group AfghanEvac's president Shawn VanDiver said in a statemen Paktyawal died of unknown causes on Saturday.



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.



According to VanDiver, Paktyawal's family was told that he was taken to a hospital in Dallas on the night of his arrest and was still alive the following morning, but died shortly after.



AfghanEvac called for an immediate investigation.