By Megan Sayles
AFRO Staff Writer
msayles@afro.com
Questions are being raised after a Haitian asylum seeker was found dead at a Pittsburgh bus stop just days after her release from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention. Daphy Michel, 31, was found unresponsive at the bus shelter by Port Authority of Allegheny County Police on March 2.
Prior to her death, Michel was being held at the Washington County Jail on harassment and threat charges related to a mental health episode. Those charges were ultimately dismissed, but an ice detainer on Michel’s file led her to being placed in removal proceedings. Michel had been released from ICE custody on Feb. 27 in Pittsburgh, miles from her home in Washington County.
Joseph Murphy, an immigration attorney aiding Michel’s family, characterized Michel’s death as suspicious.
“She’s gone, and that’s very confusing. This is a 31-year-old woman. She had mental health issues, but not physical health issues,” said Murphy. “She had just survived without incident in Washington County jail for six months. They released her to ICE on a Friday, and she’s found dead on Monday morning.”
A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told the AFRO that ICE released Michel from its custody with an ankle monitor and all of her belongings. The spokesperson confirmed Michel had a fully-charged phone when she was dropped off “in sunny weather in the middle of Pittsburgh, where public transport is readily available.” ICE did not notify any of Michel’s family about her release.
According to the spokesperson, on March 3, ICE received an alert that Michel’s ankle monitor had been tampered with—prompting agents to travel to her last known location: the Allegheny County Office of the Medical Examiner (ACOME).
“Upon arrival, local staff refused to cooperate or even talk with ICE federal law enforcement. Our officers instead had to call the U.S. Marshal’s service, who were let into the building and were given the severed ankle monitor,” said the spokesperson in a statement to the AFRO. “However, staff refused to even tell the U.S. Marshals about the individual’s condition.”
The spokesperson said that ICE discovered Michel’s death through the media, not county officials.
The ACOME has yet to determine a cause or manner of death for Michel; the investigation remains ongoing.
Murphy is continuing to assist the family in gathering more information about the circumstances surrounding Michel’s ICE detention, release and death.
The attorney also cited a similar case in Buffalo, New York, in which a 56-year-old Rohingya refugee with significant vision impairment and limited English proficiency was found dead after U.S. Border Patrol agents dropped him off alone at a closed Tim Hortons coffee shop.
Given Michel’s record of mental health challenges, Murphy believes ICE agents should have released Michel closer to home.
“She did have a language barrier, and in addition, she had a known mental health issue,” said Murphy. “This was a recipe for disaster.”
Since Michel’s death, some organizations have been outspoken about their concerns, even pushing for Congress to probe into the incident.
Pittsburgh-based social advocacy organization 1Hood Power said her death was a “painful” reminder that the government’s policies are failing people.
“It is heartbreaking to know a person with significant mental health issues languished in jail for months just to receive an evaluation. It is even more perplexing to read the media reports alleging individuals are transported by ICE across county lines and released without notification to loved ones or legal counsel,” wrote the organization in a March 13 statement. “There must be a complete and transparent investigation into her death and into the release policies of all law enforcement agencies operating in Allegheny County.”
The Haitian Bridge Alliance, a California-based immigration organization, echoed 1Hood Power’s call for an investigation.
“The Haitian Bridge Alliance mourns Daphy Michel and stands in solidarity with her family. Too many immigrants—including Haitian nationals— have died in the custody or supervision of federal immigration authorities,” said Guerline Jozef, executive director, in a March 15 statement. “We are calling for a transparent, independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding Daphy Michel’s death. Migrants seeking protection should never face neglect, abandonment or preventable harm while under government supervision.”
