The family of a disabled Texas man believes the stress of his father's detention by US immigration authorities contributed to his death. Wael Tarabishi, who suffered from Advanced Pompe Disease, died on 23 January after his father, Maher Tarabishi, was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in October.
Wael's father, a Jordanian national, had been his primary caregiver for his entire life. Maher Tarabishi, 62, entered the US on a tourist visa in 1994 and was later denied asylum but allowed to remain under supervision as his son's carer. During a routine check-in on 28 October, he was detained over claims of being a 'criminal alien' and an 'admitted member of a foreign terrorist organization', which the family denies, stating he was inaccurately linked to the Palestine Liberation Organization.
Following his father's arrest, Wael's condition deteriorated rapidly. He was hospitalised twice, most recently on Christmas Eve due to issues with his feeding tube. In a video from hospital, he said: 'Mentally, I have never been worse. 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.'
The family's fundraising page stated: 'After a long and hard battle with Advanced Pompe Disease, and in light of months of suffering due to the kidnapping of his father by ICE, Wael's body could no longer handle the stress.' His sister-in-law, Shahd Arnaout, told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram: 'I blame ICE. Maybe they did not kill Wael with a bullet, but they killed him when they took his father away.'
Maher Tarabishi was denied permission to attend his son's funeral. The family is now facing financial difficulties and has raised over $53,000 through GoFundMe towards an $85,000 goal to cover rent, transport, and living costs.
