A line was crossed when ICE denied a father the chance to say goodbye to his dying child.

Maher Tarabishi was the primary caregiver for his son, Wael, a child with Pompe disease who could not move or breathe on his own. In October, Maher was detained by ICE during a routine check-in. From that moment on, Wael was separated from the person who knew his medical needs best and who had been by his side every day.

On January 24, Wael died in an intensive care unit in Texas.

In the hours leading up to his death, Wael’s family begged ICE to release Maher so he could be with his son in his final moments. They signed a do-not-resuscitate order. Maher’s attorney met directly with an ICE official and formally requested his release on humanitarian grounds. ICE refused.

Wael died without his father there.

This petition exists because no parent should ever be detained while their child is dying. There is no enforcement goal that justifies that level of cruelty. There is no policy requirement that demands such an outcome.

ICE has discretion. It has the legal authority to grant humanitarian release or parole in extraordinary circumstances. A dying child and a grieving family are exactly what that discretion is meant for. When ICE chose not to act, it made a decision with irreversible consequences.

This is not about politics. It is about accountability and basic human decency.

Maher Tarabishi was not asking for immunity or special treatment. He was asking to be a father—to hold his son’s hand, to comfort him, and to grieve with his family. That request was denied, and the harm cannot be undone.

We are calling on ICE to immediately release Maher Tarabishi so he can mourn his son with his family. We are also demanding that ICE change its practices so no other parent is ever forced to choose between detention and being present for a child’s final moments.

A government that claims to value family should never allow this to happen.

Sign this petition to demand compassion, accountability, and an end to this kind of cruelty.