Haitian Asylum Seeker Found Dead In Pittsburgh Bus Shelter Days After Release By Ice

A Haitian asylum seeker was discovered dormant astatine a autobus shelter days aft she was released by Immigration and Customs Enforcement with an ankle monitor.

Daphy Michel, 31, was discovered lying connected nan ground, unsocial and unresponsive, by attraction workers connected nan greeting of March 2, 3 days aft she was released from an ICE agency successful Pittsburgh.

Michel, who arrived successful nan U.S. from Haiti successful 2022 pinch impermanent humanitarian protections, is nan 2nd migrant to beryllium recovered dormant connected nan streets days aft they were last seen by migration officers. On February 26, a 56-year-old unsighted exile from Myanmar died connected nan streets of Buffalo, New York, aft Border Patrol agents near him extracurricular a closed java shop.

Michel’s family and Haitian organization advocates are now demanding answers from the Trump administration complete her death. “How did she extremity up dead?” Pittsburgh area migration lawyer Joseph Murphy, who is representing Michel’s family, asked The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “You conscionable can’t beryllium dumping these group connected nan streets for illustration this.”

What happened betwixt Michel’s decease and erstwhile she was released from ICE custody remains unclear.

Last September, a neighbour called constabulary aft Michel allegedly knowledgeable “significant intelligence wellness episodes,” according to tribunal records. Michel had known intelligence wellness issues, according to Murphy, noting her “extreme vulnerability.”

She was arrested connected misdemeanor harassment and threat-related charges and booked into Washington County Jail connected a $10,000 bond, records show.

She spent astir six months successful jailhouse while her preliminary hearings were many times rescheduled until a judge dismissed some misdemeanor counts connected February 26. District Judge Eric G. Porter recovered location was nary identifiable unfortunate and truthful nary crime, according to Murphy.

“She was screaming astatine imaginary group successful nan street,” Murphy told nan Tribune. “You can’t do terroristic threats against invisible people.”

An migration detainer connected her record alerted ICE that she was successful section custody, according to nan Washington County Public Defender’s Office. A time aft her lawsuit was dismissed, ICE officers brought Michel to a section agency successful Pittsburgh. She was enrolled into nan Alternatives to Detention programme and fitted pinch an ankle monitor. She was scheduled to look for an migration tribunal proceeding connected April 16.

Officers fto her go. Her brother, Carlo Michel, wasn’t notified, he told Pittsburgh’s WTAE-TV.

On March 2, Carlo received a telephone from a section infirmary asking if he recognized his sister’s name. That’s erstwhile he learned she was dead.

“They told him connected a Thursday … that nan charges were dismissed, and she was going to beryllium released. She doesn’t travel retired connected Friday. He gets a telephone connected Monday that she’s dead,” Murphy told nan network. “This is evidently going to make questions successful anybody’s mind.”

Maintenance workers had recovered Michel lying connected nan crushed of a autobus shelter adjacent Smithfield Street Bridge, much than 2 miles from nan section ICE agency and straight crossed nan Monongahela River from nan Allegheny County Jail and courthouse.

She wasn’t breathing and didn’t person a beat erstwhile police arrived astatine nan segment conscionable earlier 10 a.m. March 2. Officers attempted life-saving measures utilizing CPR, a defibrillator and overdose-reversing Narcan earlier she was taken to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital, Port Authority Police constabulary told The Independent.

She was pronounced dormant astatine 12:14 p.m., according to nan Allegheny County Medical Examiner. A spokesperson for nan aesculapian examiner’s agency told The Independent that officials are still waiting for results from further testing and person not wished a origin and mode of death.

Homeland Security acknowledged that ICE did not person a notification that Michel’s ankle show had been tampered pinch until 24 hours aft her death.

“ICE had NOTHING to do pinch this woman’s death,” nan agency said successful a statement. “She passed distant THREE days aft ICE encountered her.”

Michel was released from ICE custody “with each of her belongings, including a afloat charged phone, successful sunny upwind successful nan mediate of Pittsburgh, wherever nationalist carrier is readily available,” according to nan agency.

ICE officers arrived astatine nan region aesculapian office, wherever “local unit refused to cooperate aliases moreover talk pinch ICE national rule enforcement,” according to DHS.

“Our officers alternatively had to telephone nan U.S. Marshal’s service, who were fto into nan building and were fixed nan severed ankle monitor,” DHS said. “However, unit refused to moreover show nan U.S. Marshals astir nan individual’s condition.”

The Independent has requested further remark from ICE and attorneys for Michel’s family.

At slightest 11 group person died successful ICE custody since nan opening of 2026, and astatine slightest 24 group person died successful ICE custody wrong nan fiscal year, which began successful October, according to ICE data. Nearly 40 group person died successful ICE custody since nan opening of nan 2nd Trump management past January, putting nan national authorities connected way for nan deadliest twelvemonth of ICE detentions successful much than 2 decades.

Emmanuel Damas, a 56-year-old asylum seeker from Haiti who sought asylum successful nan U.S. successful 2024, died successful ICE custody past period aft he was hospitalized for an infected tooth.

“Too galore immigrants — including Haitian nationals — person died successful nan custody aliases supervision of national migration authorities,” Guerline Jozef, executive head of Haitian Bridge Alliance, said successful a connection to The Independent.

“We are calling for a transparent, independent investigation into nan circumstances surrounding Daphy Michel’s death,” she said. “Migrants seeking protection should ne'er look neglect, abandonment, aliases preventable harm while nether authorities supervision.”

Democratic Representative Summer Lee, who represents Pittsburgh, said Michel “should ne'er person been near unsocial and vulnerable, acold from her family and support strategy aft her merchandise from national custody.”

“Our organization is demanding answers. No 1 should ever beryllium put successful this benignant of position,” she wrote.

Homeland Security designated Temporary Protected Status for Haiti successful 2010 amid “ongoing equipped conflict, an biology disaster” and “extraordinary and impermanent conditions,” pinch thousands fleeing nan Caribbean federation successful nan aftermath of a catastrophic earthquake and governmental and economical turmoil.

The Trump management is moving to portion them and thousands of others successful nan U.S. of this ineligible status. On Monday, nan Supreme Court announced it will see ineligible challenges to nan administration’s attempts to revoke TPS for Haiti and respective different countries.

Haitian TPS recipients person based on to nan nation’s precocious tribunal that stripping those protections would spot them successful “mortal danger.”

The national authorities advises Americans to debar Haiti complete threats of “kidnapping, crime, violent activity, civilian unrest, and constricted wellness care.”