A Haitian asylum seeker, Daphy Michel, died from hypothermia after being released from federal custody, and her death has been ruled a homicide by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office. Michel, who suffered from severe mental health issues and a language barrier, was found at a bus shelter in Pittsburgh. She had been granted humanitarian parole but died before her scheduled asylum hearing. Her attorney, Joseph Patrick Murphy, indicated that her family plans to sue Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for their role in her death. Michel had been arrested for psychiatric issues and was later released by ICE with an ankle monitor, but she was left in inadequate clothing for the winter weather. The Department of Homeland Security claims ICE was not responsible for her death, stating she had access to transportation and her belongings.
QUESTION: How might the treatment of vulnerable individuals in the immigration system be improved to prevent tragedies like this?
A woman’s hypothermia death in Pittsburgh after her release from ICE custody is ruled a homicide
