Dallas — On March 13, Afghan immigrant Naseer Paktiawal obtained a name from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which had simply arrested his brother in North Texas. The very first thing his brother advised him was that he wasn’t feeling effectively.
“I advised [the agent] my brother wants assist. He isn’t feeling good. He is feeling ache in his physique,” he advised CBS Information in Richardson, Texas. “He advised me, don’t fret about it. We now have a nurse. We’ll maintain him. And he hung up the cellphone on me.”
Lower than 24 hours later, he was advised his brother, 41-year-old Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal, had died.
Paktiawal, who was evacuated from Afghanistan through the U.S. navy withdrawal from the nation in the summertime of 2021, was the twelfth particular person to die this 12 months whereas in ICE custody. Two days later, a 19-year-old Mexican man died by presumed suicide. The 13 deaths are greater than triple the quantity that had died by this level final 12 months. In 2025, 31 ICE detainees died, a two-decade excessive, in keeping with a CBS Information evaluation of ICE data.
The rising loss of life toll comes as ICE’s detention inhabitants hit document highs amid President Trump’s aggressive crackdown on unlawful immigration. As of early February, ICE was holding greater than 68,000 folks in detention facilities throughout the U.S., company figures present.
However even after accounting for the variety of folks in detention every year, 2025 nonetheless had the best loss of life charge — 5.6 folks per 10,000 detainees — since 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, a CBS Information evaluation discovered.
Paktiawal had no pre-existing medical circumstances, in keeping with his household and ICE, and his sudden loss of life continues to be beneath investigation. His household stated he fought alongside the U.S. navy in Afghanistan for roughly a decade.
“He was a hero,” Imrain Paktiawal, 12, certainly one of his sons, advised CBS Information. “And he can be at all times a hero.”
Paktiawal is the primary Afghan nationwide to die in ICE custody since 2008. ICE said Paktiawal was arrested in a focused enforcement operation after native arrests on costs of fraud and theft. These instances had not been adjudicated on the time of his loss of life, in keeping with native officers.
In an announcement, the Division of Homeland Safety stated Paktiawal entered the U.S. legally by the parole immigration coverage, which permits officers to rapidly admit immigrants on humanitarian grounds. However DHS stated that standing, which is momentary in nature, expired final August.
ICE detains folks the federal government is looking for to deport, equivalent to these accused of being within the U.S. illegally and different noncitizens decided to be deportable, together with due to legal offenses.
ICE detention services have lengthy been criticized for offering insufficient medical care. In current months, congressional Democrats have alleged human rights abuses, together with medical neglect, in ICE detention, and demanded extra oversight from the Division of Homeland Safety. A number of teams have filed lawsuits alleging inhumane circumstances in ICE detention.
ICE has repeatedly denied stories of substandard circumstances at its detention websites.
Some detainees who died final 12 months complained to members of the family earlier than their deaths that they had been unable to acquire correct care.
Isidro Perez, who was 75 and had coronary heart illness when he was arrested in Key Largo, Florida, final June, advised his former associate he was having chest pains and wasn’t getting his treatment whereas in detention. ICE’s report on Perez alleged a doctor ordered his treatment whereas in detention. Perez died on June 26, three weeks after he was detained.
Maksym Chernyak, a Ukrainian nationwide who died in February 2025 of a stroke, advised his spouse and cellmate that he was refused speedy medical care and medicine regardless of displaying signs together with coronary heart palpitations and blood in his stool, in keeping with Human Rights Watch.
ICE’s personal loss of life stories additionally present situations of delayed care. Brayan Rayo-Garzon, a 27 12 months previous from Colombia who died by suicide in April 2025, had a psychological well being appointment that was rescheduled twice. Earlier than he had the appointment, he was discovered unresponsive in his cell. Leo Cruz Silva was 34 when he died by suicide final October, two days after ICE medical employees documented he was experiencing a psychological well being disaster.
Rayo-Garzon and Cruz Silva are amongst seven detainees who died of obvious suicides for the reason that begin of 2025. One other detainee’s loss of life was dominated a murder: ICE brokers held 55-year previous Campos Lunas down till he stopped respiratory. An ICE report on his loss of life said guards had been intervening to stop him from harming himself.
ICE has lengthy denied allegations that it gives insufficient medical care. With every loss of life the company broadcasts, it states that “Complete medical care is offered from the second people arrive and all through the whole lot of their keep.”
“That is the very best healthcare that many aliens have obtained of their whole lives,” ICE wrote in a number of press releases.
However Naseer Paktiawal believes his brother would nonetheless be alive at the moment had he not been arrested.
“I would like the reply for his kids, for my household, for this neighborhood,” he stated. “What occurred to my brother?”
