Mohammad Nazir Paktyawal, 41, an Afghan father who served with US forces in Afghanistan in 2021, died in ICE custody within a day of being arrested in North Texas. Paktyawal had been living in Texas since 2021 as his asylum application was pending with the authorities. He began working at an Afghan bakery in the Dallas area. According to reports, he was detained outside his apartment at 7 am on March 13 when he was on his way to drop his children to school. Paktyawal contacted his family from custody and told them that he was not well. He was admitted to the hospital at 11.45 pm. The next morning, relatives were told that he was undergoing treatment, but by noon on 14 March, they were informed that Paktyawal had died. He has a wife and six children, one of whom is a US citizen.
Who was Mohammad Nazir Pakhtyawal??
According to AfghanVac, Paktywal began serving in the military in Afghanistan in 2005. He served for more than a decade as an Afghan Special Forces soldier. During the War in Afghanistan, he served with U.S. Army Special Forces units, including the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) in Paktika Province.As soon as the American army left Afghanistan, his family was evacuated by America. According to ICE, he entered the US through Washington Dulles International Airport on August 21, 2021, where he was paroled into the country by an immigration officer. His parole authorization expires on Aug. 20, 2025, the agency said in a news release.ICE said he was arrested because his legal status had expired. AfghanEvac said he has completed his asylum interview and has work authorization and a Social Security number. He was not in the country illegally and was in the process of complying with immigration formalities. ICE said he had no medical history when he was arrested and was immediately taken to the hospital after complaining of difficulty breathing. His brother Nasir Paktyawal said, “He was a hero to his family, his people and his country,” referring to his decade-long military service and cooperation with the U.S. military. Mohammed Nazir Paktyawal was arrested by local authorities in September 2025 on felony charges related to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program fraud and then in November on theft charges. AfghanAvac said the arrests did not result in criminal charges and he was released.