38-Hour Flight Ends in Death for Chicago Father Detained by ICE

Ayaz Ahmed, a 61-year-old father from Morton Grove, died shortly after a 38-hour flight to Pakistan. His children say he had no criminal record and suffered from chronic health issues during his detention. The family remains without a formal explanation from U.S. or Pakistani authorities.

Ahmed was detained by federal immigration agents in Morton Grove on June 3 for overstaying a visitor's visa. He was booked into the Clay County Justice Center in Indiana. His son, Jawwad Mehmood, said his father was placed in medical isolation after requesting medical attention. The family stated Ahmed had type 2 diabetes and other conditions that required daily medication.

ICE chartered a GlobalX flight that departed Fort Worth, Texas, on July 29 at 7:25 a.m. The plane stopped in Maine, Iceland, Bulgaria, and Georgia before landing at a Pakistani Air Force Base on July 30 at 9:41 p.m. Witnesses on the flight reported seeing Ahmed deteriorate. One person said Ahmed fainted immediately after landing and was taken to Federal Investigation Agency offices. Another witness said Ahmed urinated himself during the stop in Iceland.

PIMS Islamabad doctors received Ahmed dead from FIA officials on July 31 at 11:43 a.m., fourteen hours after the flight landed. The postmortem report noted no signs of torture, assault, strangulation, or hanging on the body. All final reports on the cause of death were handed to FIA officials. FIA officials paid for Ahmed's burial in Karachi but did not provide further details to the family.

ICE stated in a written response that no medical emergencies occurred during the flight and that Ahmed received his scheduled medications. The agency said it has no insight into the circumstances of his death after arrival in Pakistan. Former ICE acting director John Sandweg noted that political pressure to continue removals can force difficult decisions, such as not turning a plane back for medical care.

The family’s attorney, Hashim Siddique, questioned whether ICE had Ahmed’s medication en route and if medical aid was administered. Ahmed had lived in the Chicago suburbs since 1997 and owned local businesses. His children said they offered to buy his plane ticket to expedite his removal. Neither the FIA nor PIMS responded to requests for comment.

Mehmood said his father’s last words were a message of love and protection. The family now handles the financial obligations Ahmed previously covered. They continue to seek answers from the Pakistan Embassy and the U.S. government.