ICE Held Sick Father for Two Months After He Accepted Deportation; He Was Found Dead Hours After Reaching Pakistan

Ayaz Ahmed accepted deportation to Pakistan rather than contest his removal, while his children offered to buy his ticket because they feared his health was deteriorating in ICE detention. The Chicago-area father, 61, remained detained for approximately 56 days before being deported to Pakistan, where he subsequently died.

A postmortem report states that he was taken to a hospital and recorded as 'brought dead' approximately 14 hours after the tracked flight landed, although his precise time and medical cause of death remain unconfirmed. Immigration and Customs Enforcement denies allegations of neglect, saying he received scheduled medication and showed no medical distress during the flight.

Family Sought Faster ICE Deportation

Ahmed was arrested in Morton Grove, Illinois, on 3 June for overstaying a visitor's visa and taken to Indiana's Clay County Justice Center. His children said he had no criminal history and had owned businesses after moving from Pakistan in 1997.

Correspondence shared with the ABC7 I-Team included a doctor's letter detailing chronic conditions, including type 2 diabetes, and daily medication requirements, forming part of its investigation into his detention and death. His children contacted ICE, county officials, lawmakers and the Pakistan Consulate, offering to purchase his ticket to shorten his detention.

Daughter Recalls Breathing Difficulties

His son, Jawwad Mehmood, alleged Ahmed was placed in isolation after requesting medical attention, while Clay County officials confirmed 'medical isolation' but declined further comment or to release of jail records, citing health privacy laws. His daughter, Saleha Sahar, recalled breathing and sleeping complaints and his plea, 'Just send me home'.

In late July, Ahmed called his son, saying he believed he was about to board a plane, after which the family went eight days without hearing from him. His children said his details no longer appeared on ICE's detainee locator and the consulate had no information before relatives in Pakistan informed them of his death on 3 August.

Witnesses Describe Decline During Deportation

Flightradar24 data analysed for the investigation placed the ICE-chartered GlobalX flight's departure from Fort Worth, Texas, at 7.25am on 29 July. It stopped in Maine, Iceland, Bulgaria and Georgia before landing in Pakistan at 9.41pm on 30 July, approximately 38 hours after departure.

One witness said Ahmed struggled to speak and collapsed after deportees were lined up following landing, before being taken to Federal Investigation Agency offices, where deportees were questioned. Another said he had wet himself by the time the aircraft reached Iceland. Both requested anonymity, citing fears of retaliation.

ICE Denies Medical Emergency During Flight

ICE said Ahmed received scheduled medication and stated, 'No medical emergencies occurred during the flight, no signs of medical distress were observed, and no individuals required hospitalization.' Family lawyer Hashim Siddique questioned medication continuity through transfers and whether medical aid was administered during the journey.

Former acting ICE director John Sandweg discussed broader operational pressures, suggesting an aircraft might turn back during a medical crisis if there were not political pressure to continue removals. He did not establish that Ahmed's flight crew recognised an emergency or that political pressure influenced decisions during this journey.

Hospital Record Leaves Final Hours Unexplained

The postmortem report states officials brought Ahmed to Islamabad's Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences at 11.43am on 31 July, recording him as 'brought dead'. Doctors recorded no signs of torture, assault, strangulation or hanging, but the published findings do not establish when or why he died.

The report said final findings on the cause of death went to Federal Investigation Agency officials, while neither Pakistani institution responded to repeated requests for comment. ICE called neglect allegations 'categorically FALSE' and said its authority ended upon transfer to Pakistani custody.