Public Health and Prison Medical Care

Associated Press reports that 56‑year‑old Haitian national Emmanuel Damas died Monday at a hospital after months in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody at the Florence Correctional Center in Arizona, where his brother says a toothache and resulting infection went untreated for weeks. According to brother Presly Nelson, Damas reported the tooth pain to facility medical staff in mid‑February but was never sent to a dentist, and a Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s report lists his cause of death as "pending" for now. ICE has not yet publicly detailed the circumstances but acknowledges he is among at least nine people who have died in its custody this year, alongside a separate Feb. 27 in‑custody death of Mexican national Alberto Gutierrez‑Reyes after he reported chest pain. Chandler, Arizona city council member and registered nurse Christine Ellis, contacted by the family, said she is "absolutely appalled" that licensed medical personnel allegedly allowed a treatable condition to become fatal. The facility is run by for‑profit prison company CoreCivic under contract with ICE, placing fresh scrutiny on medical care in privately operated immigration detention centers.