Family and local officials demand investigation into preventable death at Florence Correctional Center
Phoenix, AZ – March 4, 2026 A 56-year-old Haitian asylum seeker, Emmanuel Damas, died on Monday, March 2, at HonorHealth Scottsdale Osborn Medical Center from complications of a severe tooth infection that family members and local officials say went untreated despite repeated complaints during his detention at the Florence Correctional Center.
Damas had been in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody since September 2025 after being detained in Boston. He arrived in the United States in February 2024 through a humanitarian program and sought asylum, but his application was denied. He was transferred to the medium-security facility in Florence, Arizona, operated by CoreCivic.
According to his brother, Presly Nelson, Damas first reported a toothache to medical staff in mid-February (around February 12) and was given only ibuprofen for pain relief. He was never referred to a dentist, even as his condition deteriorated over nearly two weeks. The infection spread, leading to sepsis that affected his neck, lungs, and eventually his entire body. Damas collapsed and was hospitalized about 11 days before his death, passing away while still in ICE custody.
Nelson, now a U.S. citizen, expressed profound frustration: “As a country, I’m an American now, I think we can do better than that. A simple course of antibiotics could have saved my brother’s life.”
Chandler City Councilwoman Christine Ellis, a Haitian-American registered nurse contacted by the family, confirmed details of Damas’s ordeal and called for a full investigation. She noted that Damas complained persistently for about two weeks before collapsing from sepsis.
This marks at least the 10th death in ICE custody in 2026, according to reports from local officials and advocacy sources tracking fatalities. ICE has confirmed some prior deaths but has not publicly detailed Damas’s case. The Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office listed the cause of death as “pending.”
The tragedy has renewed scrutiny of medical care in ICE facilities, particularly for detainees with chronic or worsening conditions. Immigrant rights organizations have long criticized delays in dental and medical referrals, inadequate treatment, and the risks of serious complications in detention settings.
L’Union Suite extends deepest condolences to Emmanuel Damas’s family and joins calls for a thorough, transparent investigation. No one should die from a preventable infection while in U.S. custody.
We will continue to follow this case and any official findings or responses from ICE, CoreCivic, or federal oversight bodies.
Justice and humane treatment for all.
