Emmanuel Damas, a Haitian asylum seeker, died on Monday after being held at the Florence correctional center in Arizona, following a toothache that reportedly went untreated for weeks. Christine Ellis, a Chandler city council member, stated that Damas did not receive timely medical attention, raising serious concerns about care in custody.
Damas first reported tooth pain in mid-February. According to ICE, he was transferred between hospitals after experiencing shortness of breath on 19 February, and was placed on a ventilator. A physician suspected septic shock due to pneumonia. He received antibiotics and procedures before dying on 2 March.
Damas was taken into custody in Boston in September 2025 and transferred to Arizona while awaiting his immigration case. Ellis called for an investigation, noting that Damas complained for nearly two weeks before collapsing from the infection.
At least nine people have died in ICE custody in 2026, according to the agency. Last year, 32 deaths were recorded, the highest in over two decades. The deaths have added to scrutiny of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who is set to be replaced by Senator Markwayne Mullin on 31 March.
