Afghan ally dies in ICE custody

Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal, a 41-year-old Afghan national who fought alongside U.S. Special Forces in Afghanistan, died from an allergic reaction while in United States — United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody on March 14, 2026, one day after his arrest for deportation proceedings. His death certificate lists the cause as anaphylaxis complicating acute asthma exacerbation, triggered by an adverse drug reaction to an unidentified substance, with contributing factors including methamphetamine, heart disease, and smoking. The death was ruled an accident, the first such ruling among over 50 ICE detention deaths during President Donald Trump's second term. Advocacy group AfghanEvac and members of Congress, including Senator Richard Blumenthal, have called for release of the full autopsy report, which Dallas County has withheld citing an ongoing criminal investigation. ICE defended its detention decision, citing Paktiawal's prior arrests for food stamp fraud and theft, though he had not been convicted. The incident has drawn outrage due to Paktiawal's service as a U.S. ally and questions about the circumstances of his death.