WASHINGTON, CMC – The Haiti Caucus co-chairs in the United States House of Representatives are demanding answers from the Donald Trump administration following the death of a Haitian national in the custody of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.
ICE said in a statement last Friday that Emanuel Cleeford Damas, “a criminal illegal alien from Haiti currently facing criminal charges for assault and battery, died at HonorHealth Scottsdale Osborn Medical Center (SOMC), John C. Lincoln Medical Center (JLMC) while in ICE custody on March 2, 2026, in Arizona.
The SOMC physician reported the preliminary cause of death as unknown at this time.”
Caribbean-American Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke, Ayanna Pressley, and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, co-chairs of the House Haiti Caucus, wrote to the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) leadership demanding answers on the circumstances surrounding Damas’s death.
Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, who represents the 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn, New York, is also chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.
The Haiti Caucus co-chairs said Damas, a 56-year-old asylum-seeker and father of two, was detained by ICE in September of 2025 and later transferred to the Florence Correctional Center, a facility operated by the private corrections company CoreCivic.
In mid-February, while detained at the facility, the congressional representatives said Damas “reportedly began experiencing severe tooth pain and requested medical care.
“According to his family, despite repeatedly reporting his symptoms, he was not referred to a dentist and was only provided pain medication. Over time, the infection reportedly worsened and spread beyond his tooth, eventually affecting his neck, lungs, and bloodstream.
“Mr. Damas was ultimately rushed to a hospital in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he was placed on a ventilator and remained in a coma for several days before passing away,” the Haiti Caucus co-chairs said.
“The death of an individual in federal immigration detention is a serious matter that demands transparency, accountability, and a thorough investigation.
“Individuals in government custody rely entirely on detention authorities for access to medical care. The failure to provide appropriate treatment for a potentially serious infection represents a grave lapse in duty and undermines public confidence in the oversight and management of immigration detention facilities.
“Mr. Damas’s death is a tragic loss for his family and loved ones, the congressional representatives continued. “His case underscores the importance of ensuring that all individuals in federal custody are treated with dignity and provided with timely, appropriate medical care.
“We urge DHS and ICE to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation into this matter and to take all necessary steps to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future. Accordingly, we respectfully request that both the Department of Homeland Security and ICE provide immediate information regarding the circumstances surrounding Mr. Damas’s death,” they said.
Specifically, the Haiti Caucus co-chairs requested answers to several questions, including “what medical complaints did Mr. Damas report while detained at the Florence Correctional Center, and when were these complaints first documented?”
They are also seeking answers to what medical care and evaluations were provided to Damas in response to his reported symptoms, and why Damas was not referred to a dental or medical specialist earlier in the course of his illness.
The Haiti Caucus co-chairs also requested that DHS and ICE provide Congress and the House Haiti Caucus with any incident reports, detainee medical records (with appropriate privacy protections), internal reviews, and communications related to Damas’s detention and medical treatment.
“Given the seriousness of this matter, we request a written response to these questions within 14 days of receipt of this letter,” they said.
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