A Haitian asylum seeker held in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody for several months died after complications from an infected tooth, prompting calls for an investigation from Arizona officials and renewed scrutiny of medical care in immigration detention facilities.
Emmanuel Damas, 56, died Monday at a Scottsdale hospital after collapsing from a severe infection while detained at the Florence Correctional Center in Arizona, according to Chandler City Councilwoman Christine Ellis. Ellis, a registered nurse and Haitian-American, said Damas had complained for weeks about worsening tooth pain but did not receive timely treatment.
