Immigration & Detention Policy

Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal, a former Afghan soldier who aided U.S. forces and was evacuated to the U.S. in 2021, died while held at the Dallas ICE field office; his family says he complained about his health, both family and ICE report no known preexisting conditions, and his death is the latest in a surge of ICE-custody deaths (31 in 2025, the highest in more than two decades, and 13 in the first three months of 2026) that advocates link to delayed or inadequate medical care while ICE disputes such claims. Rep. Julie Johnson visited the Dallas office unannounced, said the DHS shutdown has impeded families’ access and congressional oversight (she was partially barred from entry), and has proposed a bill to require DHS to maintain communications with congressional offices during funding lapses, citing Paktiawal’s case as a key example.