ICE

An ICE Detainee Died from a Tooth Infection, Autopsy Report Says

Arizona Democrats are calling for a full investigation and transparency after a medical examiner concluded Emmanuel Damas died from a severe tooth infection.

C.J. Ciaramella | 5.21.2026 1:30 PM

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(Maricopa County Office of The Medical Examiner/ICE.org)

A 56-year-old Haitian man being held in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody in Arizona died from complications from an untreated tooth infection, a medical examiner's report released earlier this month found.

Emmanuel Damas died on March 2 after being transferred to a local hospital from the Central Arizona Florence Correctional Center, a private correctional complex that houses ICE detainees. A report by the Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office, obtained through a public records request, concluded that Damas "died as a result of Complications of Necrotizing Mediastinitis with Neck and Retropharyngeal Abscess in the setting of Severe Dental Caries........

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