HOUSTON (AP) — An Afghan immigrant whose family said had worked with U.S. forces in his home country died at a Texas hospital after having been detained by immigration authorities, according to officials.
Mohommad Nazeer Paktyawal, 41, died at Parkland Hospital in Dallas on Saturday, a day after having been taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.
A cause of death is still pending. But Paktyawal’s family said he was not ill.
“We still cannot understand how this happened. He was only 41 years old and was a strong and healthy man. His children keep asking when their father will come home,” the family said in statement.
In a statement, ICE said that Paktyawal had been arrested for committing fraud against SNAP, the government’s biggest food aid program, on Sept. 16. ICE said he had also been arrested for theft on Nov. 1.
Paktyawal was arrested during a targeted enforcement action and at the time of his arrest and processing on Friday, he did not report any prior medical history, according to ICE.
Paktyawal began complaining of shortness of breath and chest pains Friday night while in an ICE Dallas field office processing hold room, according to ICE. He was taken to Parkland Hospital in Dallas where he received treatment and was kept overnight.
On Saturday, Paktyawal was eating breakfast when staff noticed his tongue had become swollen. Medical staff performed multiple lifesaving efforts but he died at 9:10 a.m. Saturday, according to ICE.
“His passing is currently under active investigation,” ICE said.
Paktyawal had previously served alongside U.S. military special forces in Afghanistan and came to the United States as a refugee following the withdrawal by U.S. troops and the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban in August 2021, according to #AfghanEvac, a San Diego-based group that helps resettle Afghans who assisted the U.S. during the two-decade war.
Paktyawal had been living in Richardson, a suburb of Dallas, with his family while his asylum case remained pending, according to #AfghanEvac. He was married and had six children.
Deaths in ICE custody have soared during Trump’s second term.
The agency reported 14 custody deaths from the start of the government’s fiscal year Oct. 1 through Jan. 6, well on pace to surpass the previous 12-month count of 24. ICE reported 12 custody deaths in the 2024 fiscal year and 12 in the previous three years combined.
ICE has increased the number of people in its detention centers to more than 70,000 from about 40,000 at the start of Trump’s second term. It plans to spend $38.3 billion to boost capacity to 92,600 beds by the end of November, including converted warehouses that house up to 10,000 each
Associated Press writers Elliot Spagat in San Diego and Jamie Stengle in Dallas contributed to this report.
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FILE - A federal agent wears an Immigration and Customs Enforcement badge in New York, June 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — White House chief of staff Susie Wiles has been diagnosed with early stage breast cancer but plans to continue working through her treatment, retaining her place as one of President Donald Trump's closest aides during a period of political turbulence.
Wiles, 68, announced on Monday that she had been diagnosed over the previous week. She gave no indication she would pull back from her work as she undergoes treatment.
“Nearly one in eight women in the United States will face this diagnosis,” said Wiles, who's the first woman to hold her position. “Every day, these women continue to raise their families, go to work, and serve their communities with strength and determination. I now join their ranks.”
In a social media post, Trump described Wiles as “one of the strongest people I know” and said her prognosis is “excellent.”
“During the treatment period, she will be spending virtually full time at the White House, which makes me, as President, very happy!” Trump said on his Truth Social platform. “She will soon be better than ever!”
Within 20 minutes of Trump's post, Wiles was sitting alongside the president at a meeting of the Kennedy Center board of trustees. In opening remarks, Trump said Wiles had already begun treatment and described her diagnosis as a “minor difficulty" that she would overcome.
It comes as the Republican president confronts mounting challenges on global and national fronts, from the war in Iran and soaring oil prices to this fall’s midterm elections and Americans' concerns over affordability.
Wiles is a longtime Trump ally who rose from his campaign co-chair to his closest adviser and counsel. She spent decades as a lobbyist and political operative in Florida and led his 2016 effort in the state.
She mostly shuns the spotlight but drew attention in December with an unusually candid Vanity Fair interview in which she made critical remarks about Trump administration leaders including Vice President JD Vance and Attorney General Pam Bondi. Trump underscored his trust in Wiles in the aftermath, calling the interview a “hit piece” and describing Wiles as “fantastic.”
More than 300,000 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, according to the American Cancer Society.
Treatment varies depending on how early the cancer is caught but usually involves either removing the tumor, followed by radiation, or removing the breast, what’s called a mastectomy. The cancer’s stage, subtype and genetic makeup can help determine if additional treatment of the original tumor is needed, or certain therapy to help prevent recurrence.
In his Monday post, Trump reiterated that Wiles is “tough and deeply committed to serving the American People.”
“Melania and I are with her in every way, and we look forward to working with Susie on the many big and wonderful things that are happening for the benefit of our Country,” Trump said, referring to first lady Melania Trump.
AP Medical Writer Lauran Neergaard contributed to this report.
President Donald Trump speaks during a board meeting of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts in the East Room of the White House, Monday, March 16, 2026, in Washington, as White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, looks on. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
FILE - White House chief of staff Susie Wiles waits for the arrival of President Donald Trump for a Medal of Honor ceremony in the East Room of the White House, March 2, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, FIle)
White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles attends a board meeting of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts in the East Room of the White House, Monday, March 16, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
FILE - White House chief of staff Susie Wiles listens as President Donald Trump meets with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office of the White House, Feb. 4, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
FILE - White House chief of staff Susie Wiles listens as President Donald Trump speaks to reporters after signing an executive order reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug in the Oval Office of the White House, Dec. 18, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
