A man from Texas who was taken into custody by ICE was the only person providing care for his son who has disabilities. His son will be buried in his absence.

 

Maher Tarabishi's relatives had wished for him to be there to bid farewell to his son, Wael.As Wael's main guardian, Maher has been in federal custody since October, which has kept him apart from his son during Wael's struggle with significant health issues caused by a rare and serious inherited illness.

 

However, regardless of the family's public appeals for Maher’s temporary freedom, officials with Immigration and Customs Enforcement rejected their plea, according to his lawyer.

 

Now, the family is getting ready to lay to rest 30-year-old Wael without Maher by his side. Throughout his life, Wael faced challenges from Pompe disease, which causes extreme muscle weakness and heart-related issues.

 

"We feel a deep sense of disappointment regarding ICE's choice to refuse Maher Tarabishi the chance to bid farewell to his cherished son, Wael," attorney Ali Elhorr expressed in a statement on Tuesday. The decision announced today that blocks him from having a last goodbye highlights a tragic lack of empathy from those who hold authority.

 

In another statement, relatives mentioned that stopping Maher from laying his son to rest "would only intensify the scars created by the suffering of these recent months."

 

Initially, they wished for Maher to be allowed to offer the continuous specialized support for Wael that only he was equipped to provide. However, during Wael’s final moments, they were clinging to the hope that Maher might be permitted to bid farewell to his son face-to-face.

 

On Tuesday, the day before the funeral for Wael was set to take place, Elhorr mentioned that he had talked with immigration authorities about the arrangements for the service and the conditions set by ICE to enable Maher’s participation. These officials had expressed a willingness to assist with Maher’s supervised release, but in the end, they chose not to proceed with it.

 

ICE detention guidelines permit individuals in custody to "preserve connections with their relatives through urgent staff-supervised outings to the community for visiting seriously ill immediate family members or to participate in their funerals," as stated on its website.

 

CNN has contacted the Department of Homeland Security for a statement regarding this choice.

 

Shahd Arnaout, the sister-in-law of Wael, informed CNN that the family faced difficulties in taking care of Wael while his father was detained by ICE.

 

According to Arnaout, Maher was responsible for bathing Wael, changing his clothes, and providing him with food and medicine through a tube. “He was the one who understood precisely what to do when his temperature increased,” Arnaout shared with CNN.  

 

During a news conference in December, a statement made by Wael was recited, revealing his feelings about his connection with his father.

 

“He’s the person who sustains me when I'm at my lowest point,” Wael expressed in the statement, as reported by CNN affiliate WFAA. “Without him, I amount to nothing. I cannot endure without him.”