1994 – Maher Tarabishi arrives in the United States from Kuwait on a tourist visa, later works as an IT engineer until 2019 when he quits to become the primary caretaker for his son Wael, establishing a long‑term but undocumented residence [1].

2006 – An immigration‑court removal order is issued against Maher, creating the legal basis for future detention despite his continued stay in the U.S. [1].

2025 (Trump administration) – The Trump administration revokes visas for members of the Palestine Liberation Organization; DHS later cites this policy when labeling Maher a “self‑admitted member” of the PLO, a claim his family denies [1].

Aug 2025 – DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and Indiana Governor Mike Braun announce a partnership to add 1,000 immigration‑detention beds in Indiana, dubbed the “Speedway Slammer,” expanding state‑federal detention capacity [2].

Oct 2025 – ICE detains Maher Tarabishi at the Bluebonnet Detention Facility in Anson, Texas, separating him from his critically ill son Wael, and the family’s repeated requests for a temporary release are denied despite ICE standards that permit emergency trips [1].

Dec 12, 2025 – Jean Wilson Brutus, 41, from Haiti, dies at a Newark hospital after a medical emergency at the Delaney Hall Detention Facility, the first of four ICE‑custody deaths recorded in a four‑day span [3].

Dec 14, 2025 – Fouad Saeed Abdulkadir, 46, from Eritrea, dies after reporting chest pain at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Pennsylvania; staff perform CPR but he is pronounced dead, prompting a state‑police and coroner investigation [3].

Dec 15, 2025 – Two detainees die on the same day: Nenko Stanev Gantchev, 56, from Bulgaria, is found unresponsive at North Lake Processing Center in Michigan with natural causes suspected; and Delvin Francisco Rodriguez, 39, from Nicaragua, dies after his family requests removal from a ventilator following failed brain‑function tests in Mississippi [3].

Dec 18, 2025 – ICE issues a press release asserting that it provides “comprehensive medical care” to detainees, while the DHS Office of Inspector General and ICE’s Office of Professional Responsibility continue routine reviews of each death amid advocacy calls for greater accountability [3].

Jan 23, 2026 – Wael Tarabishi, 30, dies at Methodist Mansfield Medical Center after severe complications from sepsis, pneumonia and a feeding‑tube infection; his final wish to see his father is denied as Maher remains detained [1].

Jan 29, 2026 – ICE denies Maher’s request for temporary release to attend his son’s funeral; attorney Ali Elhorr calls the decision “a reflection of the tragic lack of humanity,” and DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin reiterates the “self‑admitted PLO member” label [1].

Feb 19, 2026 – Lorth Sim, 59, a Cambodian national, is found unresponsive and pronounced dead at 7:10 a.m. in his cell at Indiana’s Miami Correctional Facility, marking the first ICE fatality at that facility since the state‑prison partnership began [2].

Feb 19, 2026 – ICE announces a formal investigation into Sim’s death, notifying the DHS Office of Inspector General, ICE’s Office of Professional Responsibility, and the Cambodian consulate; Democratic Rep. Andre Carson tweets that Sim’s family “deserves answers,” and Rep. Ed DeLaney pledges to monitor the case and seek a public report [2].