The grieving family of a disabled man from Texas asserts that U.S. immigration officials played a significant role in his death by separating him from his dedicated caregiver and keeping his detained father from his side during his final days.
Wael Tarabishi, who was a U.S. citizen afflicted with advanced Pompe disease, passed away last Friday at Methodist Mansfield Medical Center near Dallas. His death occurred weeks after his father, Maher Tarabishi, was taken into custody by ICE during a routine immigration check-in.
For over thirty years, Maher, aged 62, was Wael’s primary caregiver, responsible for operating his ventilator, managing feeding tubes, administering medications, and attending to daily medical requirements.
Following his arrest on October 28, Maher has been detained at the Bluebonnet Detention Center in Anson, Texas.
According to the family, Wael’s condition worsened dramatically once his father was no longer present to care for him.
“I hold ICE accountable,” stated Shahd Arnaout, Maher’s daughter-in-law, in an interview with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “They might not have pulled the trigger, but they certainly contributed to his death by taking his father away.”
Wael, who could not move or breathe on his own due to his rare genetic disorder that causes progressive muscle failure, was hospitalized twice after Maher’s arrest after his condition worsened.
In November, he was treated for sepsis and pneumonia. In late December, he was admitted again to the ICU after a stomach infection caused his feeding tube to leak.
Wael Tarabishi, right, a US citizen with advanced Pompe disease, died Friday in intensive care at Methodist Mansfield Medical Center. He is pictured alongside his father Maher Tarabishi
Maher Tarabishi, left, had been his primary caregiver to his son, Wael, for more than 30 years before being detained by ICE in October. They are pictured alongside another family member
That second hospitalization lasted 30 days and ended with Wael dying on Friday afternoon.
‘Wael is a US citizen, and he was asking for his dad to be next to him while he’s dying,’ Arnaout explained. ‘His country failed him.’
According to the family, doctors had warned that Wael required highly specialized care and that Maher was the only person who fully understood his complex medical needs.
Wael was diagnosed with Pompe disease at four and was not expected to live past the age of ten, but survived more than 30 years under his father’s care.
In Wael’s final hours, his family signed a ‘do not resuscitate’ order as his organs began to fail.
The family made an emergency plea for Maher’s release so he could be with his son before he died. The request was denied.
Wael was diagnosed at four and was not expected to live past the age of ten, but survived more than 30 years under his father’s care
Doctors originally told the family Wael would not live past the age of 10.
Maher, top, learned of Wael’s death while still in immigration custody
Wael was hospitalized twice after his father’s detention, including for sepsis, pneumonia, and a feeding tube infection
A Facebook campaign page kept supporters abreast of developments
An online campaign sprung up in the hope of getting Maher released to be with his son
Maher had to learn of his son’s death during a phone call from detention.
‘He couldn’t handle it,’ Arnaout said to the Star Telegram.
The family is now asking ICE to release Maher so he can attend Wael’s funeral.
‘ICE has NOT received a formal request from anyone to attend funeral services. Requests for temporary release are considered on a case by case basis,’ the agency said in a statement.
ICE has described Maher as a ‘criminal alien’ and alleged he was affiliated with the Palestine Liberation Organization, a claim his family denies.
Maher Tarabishi is a Jordanian national who entered the US in 1994 and overstayed on a tourist visa. He later applied for asylum.
His family says he has complied with immigration requirements and regularly attended check-ins.
On Friday, Maher’s attorney filed a motion to reopen his asylum case after discovering that his former lawyer had been practicing without a valid license.
Advocates say Maher’s detention may never have occurred if his legal representation had been legitimate.
The case went viral after Billie Eilish shared Wael’s story on her social media
The story drew international attention after Billie Eilish reposted Wael Tarabishi’s case to her Facebook stories, amplifying calls for Maher’s release
Maher, left, entered the US in 1994 and has been seeking asylum since his visa expired. His sons were both US citizens having been born here
Maher Tarabishi’s arrest is part of a larger increase in immigration enforcement during President Donald Trump’s second term
In December, the family and community activists gathered outside the hospital, pleading directly with President Donald Trump for Maher’s release.
In a prepared statement read by a cousin, Wael himself had said: ‘He is the one who knows my body when it is about to fail. He is the one who keeps me alive when I’m at my weakest.’
Maher’s daughter-in-law said simply: ‘This is not a man who should be behind bars. This is a man who should be beside his child, his sick child.’
The case drew widespread attention on Friday after Billie Eilish shared the story on her social media, prompting renewed scrutiny of immigration detention policies.
‘We call on every congressional representative that represents Texas to take action to the fullest extent of their capacity to ensure that Maher gets the opportunity to properly mourn his son and grieve with his family, as is his human right to do,’ a spokesperson for the Tarabishi family said.
Maher Tarabishi remains in ICE custody. The Daily Mail has contacted ICE for comment.
