Key facts
- Daphy Michel, a 31-year-old Haitian asylum seeker, died on March 2 in Pittsburgh.
- The Allegheny county medical examiner ruled her death a homicide, caused by hypothermia.
- Michel was released from ICE custody on February 27, wearing inadequate clothing for the winter weather.
- Her attorney stated she suffered from severe mental health issues and a language barrier.
- ICE denied responsibility for her death, citing her release with belongings and a phone, and alleged tampering with her ankle monitor.
A medical examiner has ruled the death of Daphy Michel, a 31-year-old Haitian asylum seeker, a homicide after she died of hypothermia following her release from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody in Pennsylvania.
Michel was found at a bus shelter in Pittsburgh on March 2, having been released from federal custody on February 27. The Allegheny county medical examiner's office determined her cause of death was hypothermia and ruled the manner a homicide, indicating her death was caused by the actions of another individual. The office clarified this does not constitute a declaration of criminal guilt.
According to her family's attorney, Joseph Patrick Murphy, Michel, who arrived in the U.S. in 2022 seeking asylum, was granted humanitarian parole. She had been arrested last summer for issues related to severe mental health challenges and a language barrier, spending six months in jail awaiting a hearing. After a magistrate determined she could not be held for trial, ICE arrested her, placed an ankle monitor on her, and transported her to Pittsburgh, where she was found in inadequate clothing for the February weather.
Murphy stated that ICE's actions, including releasing her in winter attire and transporting her to Pittsburgh, contributed to her death. He expects Michel's family to file a lawsuit against ICE.
ICE spokesperson Lauren Bis, however, maintained that the agency had no involvement in Michel's death, stating she died three days after ICE encountered her. Bis described Michel as an "illegal alien from Haiti" and noted she was released with her belongings and a phone, with public transportation available. ICE learned her ankle monitor had been tampered with the day after her death but claimed county medical examiner staff refused to cooperate. ICE learned of her death through media reports.
Allegheny county executive Sara Innamorato called Michel's death a tragedy that appears to have been avoidable with "a little humanity." U.S. House member Summer Lee echoed this sentiment, stating the death was preventable and that Michel deserved care, shelter, language access, and medical support.
ICE has recently ended a policy adopted in 2021 that required reporting deaths of detainees within 30 days of release, a move health experts suggest will result in fewer reported deaths without addressing underlying medical care issues.