Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal, a 41-year-old Afghan national, was dropping his children at preschool in Richardson, Texas, when masked ICE agents apprehended him. Within 24 hours, he was dead. Officials blamed an “adverse drug reaction” and ruled his March 14 death an accident, though his death certificate was only released this month.
Paktiawal’s death is part of a broader crisis. Under President Trump’s second term, more than 50 detainees have died — a rate of one death every six days. That mortality rate is nearly four times higher than under the Biden administration, according to available data. The U.S. runs the world’s largest immigration detention system, holding over 65,000 people.
Legal Obligations vs. Reality
The Fifth and 14th Amendments require the government to meet detainees’ “basic human needs,” and the Immigration and Nationality Act mandates “acceptable conditions.” International human rights agreements also apply. Yet the system has long faced reports of inhumane conditions and inadequate medical care. A recent Associated Press investigation found an “alarming” spike in suicides.
Instead of reforms, ICE has moved to reduce transparency. Previously, the agency reviewed all detainee deaths within 30 days of release; now it only counts deaths in custody, allowing it to release detainees whose deaths are imminent without accountability. ICE also plans to release fewer details about fatalities.
Mullin’s Deflection
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has shown indifference. At a June congressional hearing, he sparred with Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.), claiming that Illinois state prisoners are more likely to die than ICE detainees. He cited a ratio of one doctor per thousand detainees — a standard he defended as adequate. But 70% of ICE detainees have no criminal record, unlike convicted inmates. When Underwood asked about policies to reduce deaths, Mullin replied, “We’re doing a wonderful job.”
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has called for an investigation. Mexico plans to seek criminal charges over deaths of its nationals in U.S. detention.
A Broken System
ICE’s own website says detention is not punitive, but a holding measure before hearings or removal. Yet with an $85 billion budget — the highest of any U.S. law enforcement agency — the lack of care is indefensible. Paktiawal had no criminal history, fought alongside U.S. Special Forces in Afghanistan, and had a pending asylum claim. His case underscores a system that treats detainees as disposable. As conservatives champion “pro-life” and “All Lives Matter,” the contrast with detention conditions is stark.
Lawmakers must demand transparency, claw back funding if needed, and spotlight the crisis. ICE’s failure to meet court-ordered medical care standards in California shows the pattern is national. The administration’s response — similar to Pentagon maneuvers that exclude certain deaths from official tallies — suggests a deliberate evasion of responsibility.
Detention should not be a death sentence. The rule of law, accountability, and human lives must prevail.
