Nearly four months after Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal died in ICE custody, newly released documents show his death certificate contains a discrepancy over the timing of his fatal injury, and that Dallas County officials have agreed to keep the underlying autopsy report sealed.
Paktiawal, 41, an Afghan immigrant whose family says partnered with U.S. Army Special Forces for more than a decade in Paktika province before they were evacuated to the United States in 2021, was taken into ICE custody outside his Richardson home on the morning of March 13, as he was getting his six children ready for school. He was hospitalized that evening after complaining of shortness of breath and chest pain, and was pronounced dead the following day, less than 24 hours later.
At the time, ICE said Paktiawal’s tongue had become swollen while he was eating breakfast and that medical staff attempted lifesaving measures before he died. The agency also pointed to a prior arrest history, including a 2025 SNAP fraud case and a separate theft charge, without clarifying whether either had resulted in a conviction. Advocacy groups, including AfghanEvac, the Afghan-American Association and the Council on American-Islamic Relations, called at the time for a full investigation, and U.S. Rep. Julie Johnson, whose district includes Richardson, publicly demanded answers from ICE…