Shahd Arnaout, Maher Tarabish’s daughter-in-law, (left) cries in community organizer Lydia Faith’s arms after a news conference outside of Methodist Mansfield Medical Center on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025, in Mansfield. Arnaout said Tarabish should be beside his sick child, who is only getting weaker.Christine Vo/Staff PhotographerMANSFIELD - Three weeks after immigration officers detained Maher Tarabishi, his son was rushed to the emergency room with life-threatening sepsis and pneumonia.One month later on Dec. 24, his son, Wael, was again admitted to Methodist Mansfield Medical Center, this time after his feeding tube was displaced, causing him excruciating pain and his stomach to leak.Wael, 30, who has a rare genetic disorder called Pompe disease, remains hospitalized. His father, who is his longtime primary caretaker, is being held at the Bluebonnet Detention Center in Anson, about 200 miles west of Dallas.Article continues below this adOn Tuesday, family members pleaded for the humanitarian release of Tarabishi, a native of Jordan who has lived in the United States since arriving on a tourist visa in 1994. At a news conference outside the hospital, friends and family frequently appealed directly to President Donald Trump."I'm not here to talk about immigration policy. I'm not talking about politics," said Dr. Bilal Piracha, an emergency medicine physician in Coppell and medical advocate for the family. "We are talking about mercy. We are talking about humanity."Ammar Jumaa, Wael Tarabish’s uncle, (center) holds signs calling for Maher Tarabishi’s return during a news conference outside of Methodist Mansfield Medical Center on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025, in Mansfield. Wael, who lives with Pompe disease, has been hospitalized twice in one month since his father was detained.Christine Vo/Staff PhotographerTarabishi, 62, who lives in Arlington, was detained Oct. 28 during a routine check-in with immigration officers in Dallas. His family said he had applied for asylum and was permitted to remain in the country.Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs with the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement to The Dallas Morning News that Tarabishi is a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization, the internationally recognized representative of Palestinians, which his family denies.Article continues below this ad"ICE's successful arrest of Tarabishi shows clear evidence of the game-changing impact the Trump administration's immigration enforcement efforts are having to restore common sense to our immigration system, strengthen national security and public safety in our country," McLaughlin said in the email.Family members described Tarabishi as a devoted father and grandfather, a rule follower who never missed an immigration check-in or even got a speeding ticket.When Wael was diagnosed with Pompe disease at a young age, doctors estimated he would not live past age 10. The condition causes progressive muscle weakness, enlarged organs and difficulty breathing. To care for his son, Tarabishi, an electrical engineer, developed an encyclopedic knowledge of the condition.In a statement read by his cousin, Loui Tarabishi, Wael said he is alive because of his father, whom he called his hero and best friend.Article continues below this ad"He has never left my side," Wael said. "Without him, I am nothing. Without him, I cannot survive. He is my arms, my legs, my lungs, my voice when I cannot speak."Maher Tarabishi and his son, Wael.Family of Maher TarabishiTarabishi is among the tens of thousands of immigrants targeted by the Trump administration's sweeping mass deportation program. Since taking office in January, Trump has aimed for 3,000 arrests a day. An estimated 70,000 people are in ICE custody.Last month, federal agents detained Donovan Hinda, a popular Bishop Arts bartender, and Chih-Ming Feng, known as Petey, a longtime Dallas line cook who has worked at numerous fine-dining restaurants in the city. In October, the Rev. James Eliud Ngahu Mwangi, an Episcopal priest, was detained in Huntsville.Days after his arrest, relatives of Tarabishi said they struggled to find any information about their family's patriarch. Eventually, they learned he spent four days at a Dallas ICE office, held in a space with about 30 people and access to only one bathroom. Tarabishi was then transferred to the Bluebonnet Detention Center, where his daughter-in-law Shahd Arnaout said the conditions were "inhumane."Article continues below this adIn the past several weeks, they have spoken with him frequently, and he begins each phone call asking about Wael's health, Arnaout said through tears."This is not a man who should be behind bars," Arnaout said. "This is a man who should be beside his child. ... Bring him home. Bring him back to his son. Do not wait until it's too late."Staff writerSarah Bahari is a senior general assignment reporter. She previously worked as a writer for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, where she covered a bit of everything. She is a graduate of Kansas State University.See more on: