Disabled man dies alone after his dad and sole caregiver was detained by ICE

How a Disabled Man Died After ICE Arrested His Sole Caregiver Father

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Arlington, Texas — In a heartbreaking sequence of events that has drawn national attention, 30-year-old Wael Tarabishi, a disabled American citizen, died on January 23, 2026, after his health deteriorated in the wake of his father’s detention by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) — a separation his family says contributed directly to his death.

A Life Defined by Care and Resilience

Wael was born with Pompe disease, a rare and progressive genetic disorder that weakens muscles and affects the heart and breathing. Doctors once told his family he would not survive past early childhood — and yet with extraordinary care and devotion from his father, Wael reached the age of 30, defying expectations and living a life many thought impossible.

His father, 62-year-old Maher Tarabishi, was more than a parent; he was Wael’s primary caregiver, nurse, and lifeline, providing around-the-clock care for decades — bathing him, administering medication, changing feeding tubes, and helping him with every aspect of daily life that Wael could not manage on his own.

Routine Check-In Turns Tragic

The tragedy began on October 28, 2025, when Maher attended a routine check-in appointment with ICE in Dallas — a requirement he had complied with for years. Despite having lived in the United States since 1994, regularly reporting to immigration authorities, and having no criminal record, Maher was suddenly detained and transferred to the Bluebonnet Detention Center in Anson, Texas.

ICE later cited alleged ties to the Palestine Liberation Organization as justification for his detention — a claim his family and attorney strongly dispute, asserting there is no credible basis for such allegations.

With Maher gone, the family scrambled to care for Wael. Although multiple relatives attempted to help, none could match the decades of specialized care that Maher provided. Family members told reporters that Wael himself said, “Without my dad, I can’t survive” — a reflection of both his physical dependence and the emotional bond that sustained him.

Rapid Decline and Hospitalizations

In the weeks after his father’s detention, Wael’s health rapidly deteriorated. In late November, he was hospitalized with sepsis and pneumonia, and in December he was admitted again due to a serious infection related to his feeding tube — complications that required intensive care.

His family said stress and depression also set in as Wael grappled with the emotional trauma of losing his father’s presence and support. Despite the family’s best efforts, Wael never regained consciousness after surgery in mid-January and died on January 23, 2026 after a 30-day hospital stay.

Denied the Final Goodbye

As Wael lay dying and after his death, the family made urgent humanitarian appeals to ICE. They asked that Maher be released — or at least permitted temporary leave — to return home to care for his son and, when it became clear Wael was nearing the end of his life, to be with him in his final moments.

Those requests were denied.

In the days following Wael’s death, the family also asked ICE to let Maher attend his son’s funeral service. That too was refused, leaving Maher to mourn alone in detention while his son was buried.

Photographs of Wael and his father circulated on social media and in news reports, juxtaposing a young man who depended on his father’s care with images of family members pleading for compassion from immigration authorities.

A Family’s Grief and a Nation’s Questions

Wael’s extended family has openly blamed ICE for his death, arguing that the agency’s decision to detain Maher and refuse his release directly harmed Wael’s health and hastened his death. “We couldn’t do what Maher was doing,” a sister-in-law told reporters. “Five of us couldn’t do what Maher was doing.”

The family also highlighted the emotional toll — that Wael’s mental state deteriorated once he knew his father was gone, and that without Maher’s nuanced care, the physical burdens of his condition overwhelmed him.

Advocates and critics of current immigration enforcement policies have seized on the case as emblematic of a system that fails to account for humanitarian circumstances and the real-world consequences of detaining caregivers who have no alternative support. Some immigration lawyers and activists have called for reforms that would allow humanitarian exemptions when detaining someone would endanger a vulnerable dependent.

Legal Grounds and Complexity

Under U.S. immigration law, ICE has broad authority to detain non-citizens — even those who have lived in the country for decades — but also has discretionary power to release individuals on humanitarian grounds. In Maher’s case, lawyers emphasized that he had complied with every requirement, had no criminal record, and had long been a caregiver for his son.

Still, ICE maintained its decision, citing national security concerns rooted in allegations from decades-old legal filings. The family says these allegations are unfounded and unrelated to Maher’s life in the United States.

Broader Implications

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