What began as a toothache ended in tragedy. A 56-year-old Haitian man seeking asylum in the United States died at a Scottsdale hospital this week after a dental infection escalated into a fatal medical emergency — one his family says could have been prevented had he received proper care while held at an immigration detention center in Florence, Arizona.
Emmanuel Damas had been in ICE custody for months, first taken in by federal agents in Boston last September before being transferred to the Florence facility, where he spent roughly four months. According to family members, he began experiencing tooth pain in mid-February. When he reported his symptoms to facility staff, he was given over-the-counter pain medication and sent on his way. It wasn’t until his condition had significantly deteriorated that he was transported to a hospital — where he died Monday from complications stemming from the untreated infection.
The case drew public attention after a Chandler city council member shared details on social media, expressing grief over Damas’ death and calling for greater accountability in how detained individuals access healthcare. In her statement, the councilwoman — who also works as a healthcare professional — said she has reached out to Arizona’s congressional delegation to push for improved standards of care within detention facilities, regardless of a detainee’s immigration status.
ICE has not publicly addressed the circumstances surrounding Damas’ death.
His passing is not an isolated incident. According to reporting from Tucson.com, Damas is at least the tenth person to die while in ICE detention so far in 2026 — a statistic that immigration advocates say reflects a systemic failure to adequately care for vulnerable people in federal custody.
For Damas’ family, the loss is both personal and painful — a loved one who survived a long journey seeking safety, only to die from something as treatable as a tooth infection.
