The family of a disabled Texas man grieving his “devastating and unimaginable” death believes he was killed by the stress of having his father seized in Trump’s immigration crackdown.
“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,” the family of Wael Tarabishi said in an update posted on the fundraising platform GoFundMe.
“I blame ICE,” his sister-in-law Shahd Arnaout told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Wednesday. “Maybe they did not kill Wael with a bullet, but they killed him when they took his father away.”
Wael’s dad, Maher Tarabishi, had been his primary caregiver his whole life, looking after his son at home, where they had top-grade facilities. However, Wael’s condition rapidly deteriorated after Maher Tarabishi was taken into custody, and in a video posted from the hospital shortly before his death, he said he was struggling without his father.
"Mentally, I have never been worse," Wael said in the social media video, which was earlier reported by local news affiliate KDFW Fox 4 News. "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."
Maher Tarabishi, 62, a Jordanian national, first came to the United States on a tourist visa in 1994. His asylum claim was denied years ago, but he was allowed to remain in the country on a supervision order as the primary caregiver for his son, who is a U.S. citizen.
During his last annual check-up with immigration officials, on October 28, Maher was detained by ICE over claims he was a “criminal alien”, with the Department of Homeland Security referring to him as an "admitted member of a foreign terrorist organization."
The Tarabishi family has denied these claims and said their dad had been inaccurately associated with the Palestine Liberation Organization. They have insisted that he is not a criminal, and not dangerous; just "a father who has spent his whole life caring for his disabled son."
After his father’s arrest, Wael was hospitalized twice in Mansfield, most recently on Christmas Eve due to a problem with his intragastric tube. The tube was his only way of receiving food, and he remained in the hospital until he died on January 23.
His distraught father, forced to watch helplessly from behind bars for months as his son slowly died, was denied permission to attend his son’s funeral.
“Wael is a US citizen, and he was asking for his dad to be next to him while he’s dying,” Arnaout told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “His country failed him.”
Robert Reich, a prominent professor and political commentator, slammed cold-hearted immigration officials for their “unimaginable cruelty.”
Now, Wael’s family is facing “unexpected and overwhelming financial expenses,” prompting a plea for help on GoFundMe, which, as of Friday morning, had raised $53,000 toward a $85,000 goal.
“All donations will go towards rent, transportation costs, and basic living needs,” the fundraising page said.
“As a community, we must come together and support the Tarabishi family. May Wael rest in peace, and may God shower his family with patience and strength.”
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