Texas family begs ICE to release man so he can be with his dying son

Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Jan 23, 2026

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FORT WORTH, Texas — The family of an Arlington man arrested by immigration authorities is demanding his release so he can be with his disabled son during his son’s final hours.

The man, Maher Tarabishi, was arrested by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Oct. 28. Before his arrest, Maher Tarabishi was the primary caretaker for his son Wael Tarabishi, who has a rare disease that has left him unable to move or breathe on his own. Wael, 30, has Pompe disease, which causes muscle deterioration and weakness. Wael was hospitalized Dec. 24, and his condition has steadily worsened since he was admitted.

Wael’s family made the decision to sign a “do not resuscitate” order Friday, and are now begging ICE for Maher’s release so he can be with his son during what his family expects will be his final hours.

Wael was originally admitted to the ICU at Methodist Mansfield Medical Center for a stomach infection that caused his feeding tube to leak, according to his family. Wael has been unconscious since doctors performed surgery on him eight days ago, his family said. Wael’s doctors are not sure why he remains unconscious. They told his family that Wael may not survive the night “as his condition continues to deteriorate drastically.”

His family says Wael is in “critical condition, facing imminent death as his heart and lungs are now failing.”

Maher’s family previously told the Star-Telegram that Maher, a Jordanian national, came to the U.S. in 1994 on a tourist visa. Since it expired, he has claimed asylum. His family said Maher has attended required immigration check-ins regularly and has always complied with immigration requirements. Tarabishi was arrested during what his family says was a routine check-in at the ICE Field Office in Dallas. He has been detained since then in the Bluebonnet Detention Facility in Anson.

ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Star-Telegram, but it has previously said that Tarabishi is a “criminal alien” and a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization, a claim his family has denied.

Tarabishi’s lawyer, Ali Elhorr, has filed a motion to reopen Tarabishi’s asylum application based on the recent revelation that the attorney who filed Tarabishi’s original application was practicing without a valid license, his family said.

“We are compiling all the documentation necessary to fully understand the harm this individual caused in Maher’s case, and in turn, Maher’s son Wael,” Elhorr said in a statement.