The Haiti Caucus co-chairs in the United States House of Representatives are demanding answers from the Trump administration on the death of a Haitian national in the custody of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.
ICE said in a statement on Friday, Mar. 6, that Emanuel Cleeford Damas, “a criminal illegal alien from Haiti currently facing criminal charges for assault and battery, died at HonorHealth Scottsdale Osborn Medical Center (SOMC) John C. Lincoln Medical Center (JLMC) while in ICE custody on March 2, 2026, at Scottsdale Osborn Medical Center in Scottsdale, Arizona.
“He was pronounced dead at 1:12 p.m. after becoming unresponsive,” it added. “Despite lifesaving efforts by facility staff, Damas died. The SOMC physician reported the preliminary cause of death as unknown at this time.”
On Monday, Caribbean-American Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), co-chairs of the House Haiti Caucus, wrote to the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) leadership seeking information regarding Damas’s death.
Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, who represents the 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn, is also chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.
The Haiti Caucus co-chairs said Damas, a 56-year-old asylum-seeker from Haiti and father of two, was detained by ICE in September of 2025 and later transferred to the Florence Correctional Center, a facility operated by the private corrections company CoreCivic.
In mid-February, while detained at the facility, the congressional representatives said Damas “reportedly began experiencing severe tooth pain and requested medical care.
“According to his family, despite repeatedly reporting his symptoms, he was not referred to a dentist and was only provided pain medication,” they said. “Over time, the infection reportedly worsened and spread beyond his tooth, eventually affecting his neck, lungs, and bloodstream. Mr. Damas was ultimately rushed to a hospital in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he was placed on a ventilator and remained in a coma for several days before passing away.
“The death of an individual in federal immigration detention is a serious matter that demands transparency, accountability, and a thorough investigation,” the Haiti Caucus co-chairs added. “Individuals in government custody rely entirely on detention authorities for access to medical care. The failure to provide appropriate treatment for a potentially serious infection represents a grave lapse in duty and undermines public confidence in the oversight and management of immigration detention facilities.
“Mr. Damas’s death is a tragic loss for his family and loved ones, the congressional representatives continued. “His case underscores the importance of ensuring that all individuals in federal custody are treated with dignity and provided with timely, appropriate medical care.
“We urge DHS and ICE to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation into this matter and to take all necessary steps to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future,” they said. “Accordingly, we respectfully request that both the Department of Homeland Security and ICE provide immediate information regarding the circumstances surrounding Mr. Damas’s death.”
Specifically, the Haiti Caucus co-chairs requested answers to the following questions: “What medical complaints did Mr. Damas report while detained at the Florence Correctional Center, and when were these complaints first documented; what medical care and evaluations were provided to Mr. Damas in response to his reported symptoms; why was Mr. Damas not referred to a dental or medical specialist earlier in the course of his illness; when was the decision made to transfer Mr. Damas to a hospital, and what factors contributed to the timing of that decision; what policies and procedures govern access to dental and emergency medical care in ICE detention facilities, and were those procedures followed in this case; (and) what steps is ICE taking to ensure that detained individuals receive timely and appropriate medical attention in the future?”
The Haiti Caucus co-chairs also requested that DHS and ICE provide Congress and the House Haiti Caucus with any incident reports, detainee medical records (with appropriate privacy protections), internal reviews, and communications related to Damas’s detention and medical treatment.
“Given the seriousness of this matter, we request a written response to these questions within 14 days of receipt of this letter,” they said.
ICE said the Boston Police Department arrested Damas for assault and battery on Sept. 14, 2025 and ICE Boston arrested Damas without incident at the Boston Police Department Nashua Street Jail in Boston the next day.
ICE said Damas was placed into its custody pursuant to the Lanken Riley Act, “which mandates the detention of individuals with pending immigration cases who pose a risk to public safety.”
“Upon his detention, he was provided with a medical screening, where staff found no serious new medical issues but ensured he would keep receiving prescriptions for a preexisting medical condition,” ICE said.
On Sept. 26, 2025, ICE said it transferred Damas to the Florence Detention Center in Florenze, Arizona, pending his immigration hearing.
He was ordered removed by an immigration judge on Jan. 6, 2026, ICE said.
On Jan. 27, it said Damas filed an appeal with the Board of Immigration appeals.
But ICE said Damas remained in its custody “pursuant to the Lanken Riley Act mandatory detention requirements mandating his continued detention while the appeal was pending.”
On Feb. 19, 2026, ICE said Damas reported shortness of breath and was immediately sent to the Florence Anthem Hospital to receive care.
He was then transferred to the John C. Lincoln Medical Center Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in Phoenix, AZ for “a higher level of care,” ICE said.
On Feb. 20, 2026, it said Damas remained in the ICU, intubated on a ventilator with 50 percent oxygen at John C. Lincoln Medical Center (JLMC).
ICE said an ultrasound of his heart was completed, along with many other tests, “that came back normal.”
On Feb. 21, 2026, ICE said Damas remained in the ICU with no changes to his status.
He remained on a ventilator with 50 percent oxygen, ICE said.
It said the medical liaison for ICE relayed the next-of-kin contact information to the case manager at the hospital.
On that same date, ICE said hospital case manager notified Damas’ next of kin.
On Feb. 22, 2026, ICE said Damas remained in the ICU on a ventilator.
ICE said the oxygen was turned down to 40 percent and that he remained “critical but stable.”
On Feb. 24, 2026, ICE said Damas remained in the ICU intubated and sedated on 55 percent oxygen per ventilator.
The JLMC conducted an abdominal ultrasound with negative results. His ammonia, liver function tests, and white blood cell counts returned elevated.
On Feb. 22, 2026, ICE said the JLMC conducted Methicillin Resistant Staph Aureus (MRSA) testing and blood cultures, and that Damas continued to receive multiple IV antibiotics.
ICE said the JLMC reported the likely diagnosis to be septic shock due to pneumonia.
On Feb. 25, 2026, ICE said Damas’s MRSA results “came back negative,” and that Damas’s continued with multiple IV antibiotics.
On Feb. 25, 2026, ICE said the JLMC transferred Damas to the SOMC for “a higher level of care and for a cardiothoracic workup.”
Before being transferred, ICE said he had two chest tubes placed on his right side and that “a thoracentesis was completed to help remove excess fluid from the pleural spaces around the lungs.”
On Feb. 26, 2026, ICE said Damas remained in the ICU at the SOMC intubated and sedated on a ventilator on 40 percent oxygen.
On that same date, ICE said the SOMC scheduled Damas for a right video assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) decortication procedure.
On Feb. 27, 2026, ICE said Damas remained at the SOMC in the ICU.
The next day, ICE said its medical liaison notified Damas’s next-of-kin that they were permitted to visit him.
On Mar. 1, 2026, ICE said Damas’s next-of-kin and family members arrived at the SOMC and that they “remained with him throughout the night while he remained under guard.”
On Mar. 2, 2026, ICE said Damas’s “health did not improve after the VATS procedure,” and that Damas continued to be intubated and sedated on a ventilator.
On Mar. 2, 2026, at 1:12 p.m. MST (Mountain Standard Time – a time zone in North America (including Arizona, Colorado, and parts of Canada/Mexico), ICE said “a doctor at the SOMC, in Scottsdale, pronounced Damas deceased.
“The SOMC physician reported the preliminary cause of death as unknown at this time,” said ICE, stating that it is “committed to ensuring that all those in custody reside in safe, secure and humane environments.
“Comprehensive medical care is provided from the moment individuals arrive and throughout the entirety of their stay,” it added. “All people in ICE custody receive medical, dental and mental health intake screenings within 12 hours of arriving at each detention facility; a full health assessment within 14 days of entering ICE custody or arrival at a facility; access to medical appointments; and 24-hour emergency care. At no time during detention is a detained alien denied emergency care.”
