A disabled man dependent on his father’s care has died in Texas after his dad was detained by immigration authorities, leaving the family devastated and raising questions about humanitarian considerations in immigration enforcement.
Wael Tarabishi, a 30-year-old U.S. citizen with Pompe disease, died on January 23, 2026, in a Mansfield hospital while his father remained in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody. His father, 62-year-old Maher Tarabishi, had been detained since October 28, 2025, at a facility 200 miles away from his son.
“Mentally, I have never been worse,” Wael had said in a video recorded before his death. “My father was always my hero, my safe place. He did everything for me, 24 hours a day, and ICE took him for no reason,” he explained in emotional testimony.
The elder Tarabishi, who entered the United States legally from Jordan in 1994 on a tourist visa, had been checking in annually with ICE in Dallas. Despite this compliance, he was suddenly detained last October and held at the Bluebonnet Detention Facility in Anson, Texas. Even more heartbreaking? ICE denied Maher’s request to attend his son’s funeral, the family confirmed.
A Life of Dependency and Care
Wael suffered from Pompe disease, a rare genetic disorder that causes muscle weakness and severely limited his mobility. The condition made him completely dependent on his father’s round-the-clock care.
“Up until Wael’s last conscious moment, he continued thinking and talking about his father,” the Tarabishi family said in a press release. The separation proved devastating. “They may not kill him with a bullet, but they killed him inside mentally,” a family member stated regarding Wael’s deterioration following his father’s detention.
Why was Maher detained in the first place? That remains a point of contention. While ICE has reportedly classified him as a “criminal alien” or potential member of a terrorist organization, the family vehemently denies these characterizations, insisting Maher posed no threat to public safety.
The case highlights the complex human consequences of immigration enforcement actions. Maher had been in the United States for over three decades, regularly checking in with authorities while serving as the primary caregiver for his disabled American citizen son.
For the Tarabishi family, the pain is twofold — mourning Wael while continuing to fight for Maher’s release. As Wael’s final days slipped away without his father present, the case has become a stark illustration of what can happen when immigration enforcement and humanitarian concerns collide.
