Emmanuel Damas, a 56-year-old Haitian man held in U.S. immigration detention, is dead.

According to his brother, Emmanuel reported a severe toothache in mid-February while confined at the Florence Correctional Center in Arizona. He was not sent to a dentist. Weeks later, he was hospitalized. He died on March 3. The official cause of death is still pending.

No one should die in U.S. government custody from a treatable dental condition.

Emmanuel Damas had been in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody since September. He was being held at a facility operated by CoreCivic, a private prison company contracted by the federal government. His death marks at least the ninth reported death in ICE custody this year.

Regardless of immigration status, every person in U.S. custody has a constitutional right to adequate medical care. A tooth infection is not a rare or mysterious illness. It is common, treatable, and preventable from becoming life-threatening with timely care.

If medical complaints were ignored or delayed, that is not just negligence — it is a failure of basic human responsibility.

We call on the Department of Homeland Security, ICE leadership, and the Department of Justice to:

• Launch an immediate, independent investigation into Emmanuel Damas’ death;
• Publicly release all medical records, incident reports, and timelines related to his care;
• Hold any responsible officials or contractors accountable;
• Implement mandatory independent medical oversight in ICE detention facilities.

The United States has the resources and the medical capacity to treat something as routine as a tooth infection. When someone dies after seeking help behind locked doors, the public deserves answers.

Justice for Emmanuel Damas means transparency, accountability, and reform so this never happens again.

Sign this petition to demand justice.
 

 Photo: AP News