An Afghan national who fought alongside U.S. Special Forces died from an allergic reaction while in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, just one day after being detained for deportation proceedings, according to his death certificate.
Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal, 41, suffered “an adverse drug reaction” to an unidentified substance that triggered anaphylaxis and worsened his asthma, the certificate says. His March 14 death at a Dallas hospital was ruled accidental.
His death has sparked outrage because Paktiawal spent a decade fighting alongside U.S. forces in Afghanistan before being evacuated to the United States during the 2021 withdrawal. Members of Congress and advocacy group AfghanEvac are demanding answers.
Among more than 50 ICE detention deaths during President Donald Trump’s second term, Paktiawal’s is the first ruled an accident, according to an Associated Press review. Most others were attributed to natural causes or suicide.
On Monday, AfghanEvac urged Texas officials to release the full autopsy report, arguing Paktiawal’s family deserves answers. Authorities have sought to keep the report sealed, saying its release could interfere with an ongoing criminal investigation.
“This family has a right to know what happened. Why won’t they release the report?” said AfghanEvac president Shawn VanDiver. He questioned what substance caused the reaction, how it entered Paktiawal’s system, and why the death certificate lists the injury date as the day before he entered ICE custody.
Paktiawal legally entered the U.S. after fleeing Afghanistan and had a pending asylum application when ICE agents arrested him outside his Richardson, Texas, home on March 13 while he was taking some of his six children to school.
ICE said he was targeted for deportation because of pending food stamp fraud and theft charges. He had not been convicted in either case.
According to an ICE incident report, Paktiawal denied having medical conditions or allergies during intake. Hours later, he developed chest pain and shortness of breath and was taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital.
The following morning, hospital staff noticed his tongue swelling while he was eating breakfast, administered epinephrine, and attempted lifesaving measures, but he died about 40 minutes later.
The death certificate lists the cause of death as “anaphylaxis complicating acute asthma exacerbation.” It also cites the toxic effects of methamphetamine, heart disease and cigarette smoking as contributing factors.
His family disputes that he used methamphetamine. VanDiver said a private autopsy commissioned by the family could not determine whether the drug was present because no blood remained for testing. His wife has also said Paktiawal relied on an asthma inhaler, but ICE agents refused to take it when he was arrested.
Dallas County officials have refused to release the autopsy report, arguing it could interfere with a federal criminal investigation. The county has asked Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office for permission to withhold it under a law enforcement exemption to the state’s public records law.
In response to an AP request, Dallas County said releasing the report “would interfere with the detection, investigation, and prosecution of a crime,” but provided no further details. Paxton’s office has not yet ruled.
