WASHINGTON: An Afghan man died in a Texas hospital less than a day after being taken into Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, the agency said on Sunday, prompting calls for an investigation.

Mohommad Nazeer Paktyawal, 41, worked alongside US Army Special Forces in Afghanistan and was evacuated in 2021 to the United States where his asylum case remains “pending”, according to AfghanEvac, a group that helped resettle Afghans in the United States.

ICE said Paktyawal was arrested in a targeted enforcement action on Friday and was taken to Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas when he complained of shortness of breath and chest pains.

“Early March 14, Paktyawal was eating breakfast when medical staff noted that his tongue had become swollen, prompting a medical response. After multiple lifesaving efforts were attempted, he was declared deceased at 9:10am,” ICE said in a statement.

The agency did not specify a cause of death and said Paktyawal’s passing “is currently under active investigation”, adding that he did not report any prior medical history upon arrest.

“AfghanEvac is calling for an immediate and transparent investigation into the circumstances of his detention, medical care, and death, including oversight by the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General and Congress,” the group’s president Shawn VanDiver said.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2026