Disabled Man Dies Weeks After His Primary Caregiver Father Is Detained By ICE
The family asserts the emotional trauma of his detention critically contributed to his rapid health decline. In October 2025, Maher Tarabashi was taken into custody during a routine appointment at an ICE facility in Dallas. For years, these mandatory check-ins had been a simple formality he consistently attended.
The 62-year-old was the full-time caregiver for his 30-year-old son, Wael, who lived with Advanced Pompe Disease. Wael required complete assistance for all daily functions, relying on his father for constant, life-sustaining care.
After Maher’s detention, Wael’s condition quickly worsened. He was hospitalized repeatedly and died in intensive care on January 23. His family is certain the sudden loss of his primary caregiver imposed an intolerable burden on his already fragile health.
Maher remains held at the Bluebonnet Detention Center. Officials have denied his plea to attend his son’s funeral. His family is now fundraising for legal costs and essentials amid an unforgiving process.
Maher came to the U.S. from Jordan in 1994. After a denied asylum claim and a deportation order, he was permitted to stay under supervision to care for his U.S. citizen son, who depended on him for survival. He never missed a single required check-in.
The family emphasizes that Wael’s passing was not due to illness alone. They describe a devastating combination of physical vulnerability and profound emotional shock caused by his father’s abrupt absence.
This tragedy poses profound questions about systems designed to enforce rules, often overlooking the human relationships they disrupt. Compassion and discretion are not weaknesses in law, but essential measures of its morality.
