Ice Detainee Dies From Tooth Infection Left Untreated For Weeks, Officials And Family Say

Emmanuel Damas sought asylum successful nan United States aft fleeing Haiti, wherever he worked arsenic a handyman.

Two years later, he died successful national custody while hospitalized for an infected tooth, according to Arizona officials.

The 56-year-old asylum seeker, a begetter of two, was hospitalized aft he struggled to person timely aesculapian attraction for a worsening toothache, according to Chandler City Councilwoman Christine Ellis.

Ellis, a registered caregiver who is Haitian-American, said she is “deeply heartbroken” by news of his death.

At slightest 35 group person died successful Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody since Donald Trump returned to nan White House and accelerated efforts to quickly arrest, detain and deport tens of thousands of people.

Damas is expected to beryllium nan 10th personification to dice successful ICE custody truthful acold this year; ICE has acknowledged 8 deaths, and section officials successful Arizona and California person reported 2 further in-custody deaths successful their states. Officials successful New York are also investigating nan circumstances starring to nan decease of a Rohingya exile who was past seen successful Border Patrol custody.

Damas entered nan United States nether Joe Biden-era humanitarian protections successful 2024. Those protections expired 2 years later. Trump’s Homeland Security Kristi Noem is pursuing ineligible challenges to revoke protections that could endanger tens of thousands of susceptible Haitians and different immigrants pinch impermanent ineligible protections extended nether Biden.

He was arrested successful Boston successful September 2025 and transferred to an ICE detention halfway successful Arizona, according to Ellis.

On February 12, he began complaining astir a toothache but was only fixed ibuprofen, according to his relative Presly Nelson.

After complaining for 2 weeks, he collapsed. He was transferred to a Scottsdale infirmary past week.

By nan clip his family arrived from Boston to sojourn him, he was intubated. He died Monday, according to his family.

“When we sewage location he had been successful this coma for nan past 9 days,” Nelson told ACB15. “We judge successful God. We thought a occurrence could happen.”

Ellis said she learned nan specifications of his decease from his family members, who provided her pinch photographs of Damas appearing unconscious and intubated while successful an intensive attraction unit. Ellis shared nan images connected Instagram.

His alleged struggle to person timely aesculapian attraction “raises superior and achy concerns astir nan value of attraction provided to individuals successful custody,” Ellis wrote.

“No 1 should dice nether specified horrific conditions,” wrote Democratic Rep. Yassamin Ansari.

“After 4 oversight visits to ICE accommodation successful Arizona, I’ve witnessed inhumane curen and aesculapian neglect firsthand,” she added. “I will proceed fighting to extremity this.”

The Independent has requested remark from Homeland Security.

The number of group successful ICE custody has exploded since Trump returned to nan White House, pinch much than 60,000 being held astatine immoderate fixed constituent wrong detention centers crossed nan country.

Conditions wrong detention centers person travel nether heightened scrutiny pursuing lawsuits alleging unsanitary and inhumane conditions inside, outbreaks of measles successful at slightest two facilities, and nan hospitalizations and alleged aesculapian mistreatment of children wrong a sprawling campy that is holding a increasing number of migrant families.

Homeland Security officials person many times defended nan level of attraction provided to detained immigrants.

Detainees are provided pinch “comprehensive aesculapian care” from nan infinitesimal they participate ICE custody, an agency spokesperson told The Independent past month.

That attraction “includes medical, dental and intelligence wellness intake screening wrong 12 hours of arriving astatine each detention facility, a afloat wellness appraisal wrong 14 days of entering ICE custody aliases presence astatine a facility, and entree to aesculapian appointments and 24-hour emergency care,” according to DHS. “This is nan champion healthcare galore aliens person received successful their full lives.”