U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, commonly known as ICE, has denied a Texas detainee’s request for release to attend his son’s funeral.
Maher Tarabishi, who was taken into custody on October 28, 2025, was the primary caretaker of his 30-year-old son, Wael Tarabishi, who passed away on Friday, January 23, from a rare genetic disorder, according to People.
Detractors have expressed sympathy for Maher while criticizing ICE for refusing to allow the grieving father to bid his son a final goodbye.
“This is not how human beings are to be treated,” one person wrote online, while another added, “This is another example of an America that I do not know.”
Father’s release request to attend his son’s funeral rejected by ICE
Image credits: Maher Tarabishi/Facebook
Maher Tarabishi, originally from Jordan, came to the United States in 1994 and resides in the country on a supervision order.
He sought asylum in 2006 but was denied; however, the American government allowed him to stay because he was the primary caretaker of his American citizen son, Wael, who was diagnosed with Pompe disease at six years old.
The disease is a neuromuscular disorder caused by a deficiency of the acid alpha-glucosidase (GGA) enzyme, and causes heart and respiratory complications.
Image credits: GoFundMe
Maher visited the ICE field office in Dallas, Texas, annually for 17 years to comply with the protocols allowing him to remain in the United States, but a visit to the facility last fall led to his arrest, leaving his son, who could not breathe, eat, or move on his own, without his service.
Image credits: GoFundMe
The father, who remains detained at the Bluebonnet Detention Center in Anson, Texas, sought a humanitarian release to attend Wael’s last rites, according to his attorney, Ali Elhorr. His request was denied on Tuesday, January 27.
“They [ICE] may not have ki**ed Wael with a bullet, but they ki**ed him inside by taking the only person he asked for,” Shahd Arnaout, Wael’s sister-in-law, said in a statement.
News of Maher’s denied release quickly spread online, drawing condolences and calls for broader attention
“My heart cannot take any more of this. I am a mother of a child with cerebral palsy. RIP Wael. Beautiful soul,” a netizen wrote, while another added, “A nation should be judged by how it treats the most vulnerable in society.”
Image credits: Maher Tarabishi/Facebook
“The cruelty is undeniable. Every person not fighting to eliminate the current ICE regime is complicit,” a third commented.
“All humanity is lost,” opined a fourth, while a fifth added, “Get this out there on a news station. Let the country know this.”
Image credits: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement/Flickr
“My heart goes out to him and his family for the inhumane treatment and sadness they are experiencing,” another voiced.
Homeland Security has accused Maher of having ties to a ter**rist group
In a statement given to People, Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin claimed Maher belongs to the Palestine Liberation Organization, which the United States designates as a ter**rist network.
The statement echoed what ICE told NBC 5 in November 2025.
Image credits: Maher Tarabishi/Facebook
“Maher Mohd Tarabishi, 62, a criminal alien and self-admitted member of the Palestine Liberation Organization—a m*rderous foreign t*rrorist organization that has carried out countless ter**rist attacks and plane hijackings—was arrested by ICE officers Oct. 28 in Dallas, Texas,” the ICE statement read.
ICE added that both an immigration judge and the Board of Immigration Appeals had ordered Maher to be deported.
Image credits: State Representative Chris Turner/Facebook
“He is in the country illegally. He caused this to happen to himself,” one social media user wrote in support of ICE.
“Was the dad here illegally? Yes? Then I do not feel bad,” another added.
Image credits: GoFundMe
Wael Tarabishi disputed last year that his father belonged to any ter**rist organization.
“He always followed the law, paid his taxes, and attended every immigration appointment on time,” he told NBC 5.
Wael’s funeral is scheduled for Thursday, January 29. The Tarabishi family has set up a GoFundMe to help cover Maher’s legal defense fees.
“Beyond cruel,” a netizen said of the Tarabishi family’s ordeal
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