1. United States
2. N.Y.
3. Letter

I am writing to express my deep outrage and alarm following the reported death of an Afghan asylum-seeker, Mohommad Nazeer Paktyawal, after less than 24 hours in ICE custody. Mr. Paktyawal was a 41-year-old father of six who had worked alongside the United States military in Afghanistan. According to his family, he had no known health issues prior to his detention. That he could enter the custody of the United States government alive and die within a single day is not just tragic — it is unacceptable. This is not an isolated concern. It is part of a broader pattern of deeply troubling conditions within our immigration detention system. Asylum seekers are not criminals. They are individuals seeking safety, many of whom have risked their lives to support the United States or to escape violence and persecution. They should not be placed in punitive detention facilities, and they certainly should not be dying in government custody. The existence of such outcomes points to systemic failures — in medical care, in oversight, and in basic human dignity. The use of detention facilities by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the broader Department of Homeland Security has long raised serious concerns about conditions, treatment, and accountability. This latest death underscores how urgent those concerns have become. Congress cannot ignore this. I urge you to take immediate action: • Launch a full and independent investigation into the death of Mr. Paktyawal, including the conditions of his detention, the medical care he did or did not receive, and the decision-making that led to his placement in custody. • Conduct broader oversight hearings into detention conditions across ICE facilities, including access to medical care, staffing levels, and accountability mechanisms. • Halt the expansion of immigration detention facilities and re-evaluate the use of detention for asylum seekers entirely. • Demand transparency and accountability from the administration and from all agencies involved, including ICE and DHS. • Advance policies that prioritize humane, community-based alternatives to detention for asylum seekers. The United States cannot claim to stand for human rights while allowing vulnerable individuals — including those who supported our military efforts abroad — to die in our custody. This is a moral failure. It is a policy failure. And it demands immediate accountability. Congress must act.