- Daphy Michel, a 31-year-old Haitian asylum seeker, was found dead from hypothermia in a Pittsburgh bus shelter on March 2, three days after her release from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody.
- The Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office has ruled Michel's death a homicide, saying it resulted from the actions or inactions of another individual, noting she was a vulnerable adult with severe untreated mental health issues and a significant language barrier.
- Michel was released from ICE custody on February 27 after six months in jail for a psychiatric episode, according to her family’s attorney. The lawyer said she was released in winter conditions wearing inadequate clothing, and expects her family to sue ICE.
- An ICE spokesperson denied responsibility, writing, “ICE had NOTHING to do with this woman’s death. She passed away THREE days after ICE encountered her." She called Michel “an illegal alien from Haiti” who was placed in removal proceedings after her arrest.
- Local officials, including Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato and U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, condemned Michel's death as a preventable tragedy, while ICE recently ceased reporting detainee deaths within 30 days of release.
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