Members of a North Texas community say they are afraid after their friend was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and died within 24 hours of being taken into custody.
Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal, an immigrant from Afghanistan and the father of six, died Saturday at Parkland Hospital, less than a day after Immigration and Customs Enforcement took him into custody.
According to ICE, while in a processing hold room, Paktiawal complained of shortness of breath and chest pain and was taken to Parkland Hospital, where he received a breathing treatment and was advised to stay for observation.
On the morning of March 14, hospital staff noted his tongue had swollen and administered epinephrine. Later, Paktiawal required cardiopulmonary resuscitation and, despite multiple lifesaving efforts, was pronounced dead at 9:10 a.m. The medical examiner's office has not released the cause of death.
ICE said his death is under investigation.
His family says he should be celebrated as an American hero who helped U.S. Special Forces in Afghanistan before he evacuated to the U.S. in 2021 so that he wouldn't be killed by the Taliban. ICE says he was here illegally and had a criminal history.
In Richardson, where Paktiawal settled, his family has questions, and the community is scared.
"I'm heartbroken, it is shocking for me, he was part of our family," said Noorulhiq Lali, who employed Paktiawal at his grocery store in Richardson.
Lali was as shocked as anyone when he found out the man who baked bread for his store, Paktiawal, had died in ICE custody this weekend. Like many others, Lali has questions.
"He was taken out of Afghanistan because his life was endangered, but now we are feeling more danger here than in Afghanistan," said Lali.
Paktiawal's family has said that he worked for years with the U.S. special forces in Afghanistan and came here with the help of the U.S. government because he was in danger.
Former head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Paul Hunker, looked at Paktiawal's status with CBS News Texas.
"He quickly applied for asylum, and that application was pending, he was given work authorization," said Hunker. "Parole is a classic way to get someone if they don't have a visa."
Hunker described it as a way to get someone into the country while they wait for asylum, but it doesn't offer much protection.
"Legally, they could arrest him. Parole status doesn't give you any legal status, so legally they could do that," said Hunker. "But query whether that was a good idea to do that."
Hunker said ICE could have used discretion to not arrest him since the family claims he helped U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
CBS News Texas was able to confirm claims by ICE that Paktiawal faced criminal charges for SNAP fraud and theft.
The Dallas County District Attorney's office said Paktiawal was indicted by a grand jury for using SNAP benefits, "for business purposes rather than authorized purposes," between June 2024 and May 2025, and Garland Police confirmed "loss prevention officers observed him on video bagging assorted groceries and merchandise in a store aisle and then leaving the store without paying," at a Walmart in November 2025.