By John Q. Hosedrinker 
Emmanuel Damas, a Haitian asylum seeker, died at a Scottsdale hospital from complications of a tooth infection after two weeks of untreated pain at the Florence Correctional Center. Despite reporting his toothache, Damas was only given ibuprofen and later collapsed after becoming septic, with his family alleging guards mocked his pleas for help. His death, which has yet to be officially acknowledged by ICE or DHS, follows another recent death attributed to medical neglect at a California detention facility.
Read the original article here
The 10th reported death in ICE detention in 2026 is a stark and horrifying reminder of the human cost of our current immigration system, and this latest tragedy, that of Emmanuel Damas, a 56-year-old Haitian asylum seeker, dying from complications of a tooth infection, is particularly gut-wrenching. Damas had reportedly alerted Florence staff to his toothache on February 12th, only to be given ibuprofen, a pain reliever, but no treatment for the escalating infection. For two weeks, he suffered, his condition worsening until he became septic and ultimately collapsed, leading to his death at a Scottsdale hospital.
To imagine the agony Damas must have endured is almost unbearable. The experience of a severe tooth infection, even for those with access to immediate medical care, is a descent into unimaginable pain. As one personal account vividly illustrates, the pain can progress from a dull ache to a grinding torment, a constant pounding, and then to a state where swallowing becomes excruciating and breathing feels like an assault. This individual, who themselves narrowly escaped death from a similar infection, required multiple surgeries, drain tubes inserted into their neck, and spent fifteen days in the hospital, losing significant weight and muscle mass. They were told they were “within a day of death.”
The notion that a treatable dental issue could escalate to a fatal outcome within a detention facility is not only a failure of basic human care but a chilling indictment of the system. Reports suggest that Damas’s pleas for help were met with callousness, with some Florence staff allegedly laughing and accusing him of faking his illness. This detail, recounted by Chandler City Councilwoman and Vice Mayor Christine Ellis, who is also Haitian-American and a registered nurse, adds a layer of cruelty to an already tragic situation. Her outrage, that “Nobody should die from a toothache. Something has to be done,” resonates deeply.
Compounding the tragedy, Damas’s death occurred shortly after another reported fatality in ICE custody, that of Alberto Gutierrez-Reyes, 48, at the Adelanto detention facility in California, also attributed to medical neglect. Adding insult to injury, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) press release concerning Gutierrez-Reyes’s death included the chilling statement: “This is the best healthcare [that] many aliens have received in their entire lives.” This remark, made in the context of a death, underscores a disturbing disconnect from reality and a profound lack of empathy, leading some to believe that the current situation represents a shift from mere ignorance to outright cruelty.
The fact that Damas was an asylum seeker, having fled his home country in search of safety, only to meet his end in detention under such circumstances, is particularly poignant and adds to the sense of injustice. The ongoing pattern of deaths, with Damas being the tenth reported in 2026, raises serious questions about the adequacy of healthcare within ICE facilities and the systemic protocols in place, or rather, the lack thereof. The closure of facilities to visitors and attorneys further exacerbates concerns, making oversight and accountability even more challenging.
The sheer inadequacy of the medical response, providing only ibuprofen for what clearly became a life-threatening infection, is unacceptable, especially given the significant financial resources allocated to ICE. This situation points to a systemic issue, where the basic human right to adequate medical care appears to be disregarded. The comparison to “concentration camps,” while a sensitive one, reflects a desperate attempt to articulate the extreme conditions and the perceived dehumanization that some individuals experience within these facilities, especially when coupled with reports of indifference or even mockery towards their suffering.
The demand for accountability is therefore not just a call for justice for Emmanuel Damas and Alberto Gutierrez-Reyes, but for all those who may have suffered similar fates or continue to be subjected to substandard care. The personal testimonies of those who have nearly died from untreated infections highlight the precariousness of such situations and the potential for preventable deaths. The legal framework and the agencies responsible must be scrutinized, and those found complicit in such negligence must be held to account, lest such preventable tragedies become the norm rather than the aberration. The question of how to stop this cycle of suffering and neglect remains a pressing one, demanding more than just outrage, but concerted action and systemic change.