Phoenix, Arizona — A Haitian immigrant died after months in U.S. immigration detention, with family members saying a tooth infection went untreated before he was hospitalized.
Emmanuel Damas, 56, had been held at the Florence Correctional Center in Arizona after entering federal custody in September. According to his brother, Presly Nelson, Damas reported severe tooth pain to medical staff in mid-February but was not taken to a dentist for treatment.
Nelson believes the untreated infection worsened until Damas was taken to a hospital, where he died Monday. “As a country — I’m an American now — I think we can do better than that,” Nelson said.
The Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office listed the official cause of death as pending as of Wednesday. The Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement had not immediately commented on the allegations.
Damas is among at least nine people who have died in ICE custody in 2026. Earlier the same day officials announced the death of another detainee, Mexican national Alberto Gutierrez-Reyes, who died after reporting chest pain and breathing problems at a California detention facility.
The Florence Correctional Center where Damas was held is operated by the private prison company CoreCivic.
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