Daphy Michel, a 31-year-old Haitian asylum seeker, died of hypothermia three days after being released from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody in Pittsburgh. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office ruled her death a homicide on Friday, stating that she was a vulnerable adult suffering from untreated severe mental health issues and a significant language barrier when released.
Key Takeaways
The death of Daphy Michel, a Haitian asylum seeker released from ICE custody in Pittsburgh, has been ruled a homicide due to hypothermia. The medical examiner found she was vulnerable and had untreated mental health issues. Her family's attorney plans to sue ICE.
- Medical examiner rules death a homicide
- Michel died of hypothermia three days after release
- Family attorney blames ICE for reckless actions
- DHS denies responsibility, citing ankle monitor and phone provided
- Local officials call the death preventable
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▼Source Claims Check
2 Differences FoundAll 3 publishers report consistent facts across 4 key claims. 2 points of difference noted.
| Claim | Status | Reason | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Location Of Release From Ice Custody | 1 Difference | HuffPost and CBS News report that Michel was released from ICE custody in Pittsburgh, while Reuters reports that she was taken to Pittsburgh after being held at Washington County Jail. | ▼ |
| Ice's Responsibility For Michel's Death | 1 Difference | HuffPost and CBS News blame ICE for Michel's death due to their actions upon her release. Reuters denies that ICE was responsible. | ▼ |
| Cause Of Death | Broad Agreement | Hypothermia | |
| Manner Of Death | Broad Agreement | Ruling of homicide by medical examiner | |
| Date Of Release From Ice Custody | Broad Agreement | Feb. 27, 2024 | |
| Date Of Death | Broad Agreement | March 2, 2024 |
Location Of Release From Ice Custody
▼HuffPost and CBS News report that Michel was released from ICE custody in Pittsburgh, while Reuters reports that she was taken to Pittsburgh after being held at Washington County Jail.
Ice's Responsibility For Michel's Death
▼HuffPost and CBS News blame ICE for Michel's death due to their actions upon her release. Reuters denies that ICE was responsible.
Cause Of Death
Broad AgreementHypothermia
Manner Of Death
Broad AgreementRuling of homicide by medical examiner
Date Of Release From Ice Custody
Broad AgreementFeb. 27, 2024
Date Of Death
Broad AgreementMarch 2, 2024
This analysis is AI-generated and may not perfectly represent each source's reporting. Always read the original articles for full context.
Michel was found at a bus shelter near Station Square on March 1 and died after being taken to the hospital. Her family's attorney, Joseph Patrick Murphy, blamed ICE for her death, calling their actions reckless. He stated that Michel had been arrested for yelling at imaginary people due to her psychiatric challenges and spent six months in jail undergoing multiple psychiatric examinations.
According to Murphy, a magistrate could not hold Michel for trial for threatening imaginary people, after which ICE arrested her in her cell, put an ankle monitor on her, and took her 25 miles away to Pittsburgh. He said she was overwhelmed by the cold weather while wearing September clothes and ultimately froze to death at the bus shelter.
ICE denied responsibility for Michel's death, with DHS spokesperson Lauren Bis stating that Michel had all her belongings and a fully charged phone when released, with public transportation available. Bis also mentioned that ICE learned of Michel's death via news media after discovering her ankle monitor had been tampered with. Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato and U.S. Rep. Summer Lee both called the death preventable and avoidable.
The ruling comes amid a change in ICE policy, which is no longer reporting deaths of detainees within 30 days of their release from custody. Health experts say this change will reflect fewer deaths than actually occur without addressing issues in medical care.
How this summary was created
This summary synthesizes reporting from 3 independent publishers using AI. All sources are cited and linked below. NewsBalance is a news aggregator and media literacy tool, not a news publisher. AI-generated content may contain errors or inaccuracies — always verify important information with the original sources.