Ayaz Ahmed and his children when they first moved to Chicago in the late nineties. Family photo provided via ABC 7.
(CHICAGO, IL, 11/10/2026) - The Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago), a chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called for an independent criminal investigation into the death of 61-year-old Ayaz Ahmed, a suburban father from Morton Grove, Illinois.
According to reports, Ahmed, who had no criminal record and suffered from multiple diagnosed chronic health conditions, died shortly after undergoing a grueling deportation process that included a 38-hour ICE flight to Pakistan.
In a statement, CAIR-Chicago Executive Director Ahmed Rehab said:
“This heartbreaking and entirely preventable tragedy lays bare the harrowing human cost of rushed, aggressive immigration enforcement. A father with serious, documented medical conditions and zero criminal history was subjected to a grueling 38-hour transit reportedly without proper medical care, ultimately losing his life immediately following his removal.
“We echo his grieving family’s urgent call for transparency and demand an immediate, independent criminal investigation into ICE’s medical standards, accountability protocols, and the horrific circumstances surrounding Mr. Ahmed’s final days.
CAIR-Chicago's mission is to defend civil rights, fight bigotry, and promote tolerance.
CONTACT: Ahmed Rehab, Executive Director, 202-870-0166, arehab@cair.com; Hafsa Haider, Communications Director, 561-317-7509, hhaider@cair.com