Former Afghan ally died of allergic reaction in ICE custody, certificate says

Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal, 41, died from an allergic reaction while in ICE custody, one day after being detained for deportation, his death certificate shows. The document lists the cause as anaphylaxis from an unidentified substance, with methamphetamine, heart disease, and smoking as contributing factors. The death was ruled an accident.

What happened

Paktiawal, a former Afghan ally who fought alongside U.S. Special Forces for a decade, was arrested at his Texas home on March 13. He had been denied any medical conditions during screening but later experienced shortness of breath and chest pain. At the hospital, he suffered tongue swelling, received epinephrine, and died about 40 minutes later. Source: AP News

The reaction

Paktiawal's death has sparked outrage from advocacy group AfghanEvac and members of Congress. AfghanEvac president Shawn VanDiver demanded release of the full autopsy report, questioning why it is being withheld due to an ongoing criminal investigation. Source: AP News Family and coworkers said they were unaware of Paktiawal using methamphetamine, and a private autopsy has been performed. Source: AP News

• Paktiawal was evacuated from Afghanistan in 2021 and had a pending asylum claim. Source: AP News
• Out of over 50 ICE detention deaths during Trump's second term, this is the first ruled an accident. Source: AP News