Emmanuel Cleeford Damas

Mar 2

Written By M T

56 years old · Dorchester, Massachusetts / Florence, Arizona · March 2, 2026

A note on scope: Emmanuel Cleeford Damas was a Haitian national, not a Black American. He is documented in this record because he died in the custody of the United States government after being denied adequate medical care. The failure documented here is American.

Who he was

Emmanuel Cleeford Damas was 56 years old, born in Haiti, and a father of two sons. He was a mechanic who fled gang violence in Haiti and came to the United States legally in February 2024 through the Biden administration's Humanitarian Parole program for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans. He was sponsored by his brother Presly Nelson, an American citizen who had lived in the US for nearly 30 years. He settled in Dorchester, Massachusetts, with his two sons — the youngest of whom was 13 — and his mother. He called his family five or six times a day from detention. His dreams were simple: to visit New York, to save enough money to buy a BMW, and to get an apartment where he could support his sons and his mother. His brother said at his memorial service: "My brother was not perfect, none of us are. But what must never be forgotten is his heart. He had a big heart, one that gave, even when he had little." He never achieved any of his dreams. He died in federal custody in Arizona, 2,000 miles from his family, intubated and sedated, from an untreated toothache.

What happened

On September 14, 2025, a family gathering in Dorchester turned into a breaking point. Damas struck his son on the back of the head during a misunderstanding. Boston Police arrested him for misdemeanor assault and battery. His family posted bail and he was quickly released — but ICE agents took him into custody the same day under the Laken Riley Act, which mandates detention for individuals with pending immigration cases who may pose a public safety risk. He was transferred more than 2,000 miles from his family to the Florence Correctional Center in Florence, Arizona, a private facility operated by CoreCivic under ICE contract. His asylum application was denied on January 6, 2026, while he was in custody. He appealed. In mid-February 2026, he told his family during phone calls that he had a toothache. According to his brother Presly, he also reported it to facility staff and was not taken to see a dentist. The infection spread. By February 19, he was complaining of shortness of breath and was transferred to Florence Anthem Hospital, then to the John C. Lincoln Medical Center ICU in Phoenix. He was transferred again to HonorHealth Scottsdale Osborn Medical Center. He underwent a VATS procedure — video-assisted thoracic surgery — as the infection had reached his chest cavity. His condition did not improve. He was intubated, sedated, on a ventilator. His mother watched him die. On March 2, 2026, at 1:12 p.m., he was pronounced dead. His family placed a photo at his memorial with seven words: "We Can Take Care of a Toothache."

In May 2026, the Maricopa County Medical Examiner confirmed the cause of death: complications of necrotizing mediastinitis — a severe, life-threatening infection of the chest cavity — with neck and retropharyngeal abscess, in the setting of severe dental caries and periodontal disease. A toothache, left untreated, killed him.

Official ruling

ICE stated that Damas received medical care and that lifesaving efforts were made. The agency said that at his intake in September 2025, a health appraisal was completed with no acute issues identified, and that he was seen by medical staff multiple times before his hospitalization. ICE and the Department of Homeland Security publicly rebutted claims of inadequate care. The preliminary cause of death was listed as unknown at the time of his death; the medical examiner's confirmation came in May 2026.

Contested record

The family directly disputes ICE's account. His brother Presly Nelson said Damas reported the toothache to facility staff and was not taken to a dentist. The infection spread over two weeks before he was hospitalized — by which point it had become a life-threatening chest infection requiring surgery. Chandler City Councilwoman Christine Ellis, who engaged the Arizona congressional delegation on the case, wrote that Damas' "reported struggle to receive timely medical attention before being transferred to a hospital raises serious and painful concerns about the quality of care provided to individuals in custody." US Senators Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley worked with the family to obtain answers. The advocacy group LUCE Network Massachusetts stated: "Whatever failed that led to this needs to be fixed. There are a lot more stages leading up to that which could have been done to prevent this death." The Haiti Caucus in Congress demanded answers from the Trump administration. Damas was one of 13 people to die in ICE custody in the first 61 days of 2026. Thirty-one people died in ICE custody in all of 2025.

Note on jurisdiction

This case involves federal immigration detention under ICE and a private facility operated by CoreCivic under federal contract. No state or local legal process is applicable. Accountability, if any, would come through federal oversight, congressional investigation, or civil litigation. None has been initiated as of this writing.

Legal process

September 14, 2025 — Damas arrested by Boston Police for misdemeanor assault and battery following a domestic incident. Family posts bail.

September 15, 2025 — ICE takes Damas into custody at Nashua Street Jail under the Laken Riley Act. Transferred to Florence Correctional Center, Florence, Arizona.

January 6, 2026 — Immigration judge orders Damas removed. Damas appeals to the Board of Immigration Appeals.

Mid-February 2026 — Damas reports a toothache to facility staff. Not taken to a dentist, per family account. ICE disputes this.

February 19, 2026 — Damas reports shortness of breath. Transferred to Florence Anthem Hospital, then to John C. Lincoln Medical Center ICU in Phoenix.

February 27, 2026 — Transferred to HonorHealth Scottsdale Osborn Medical Center. ICE notifies family.

March 1, 2026 — Family, including his mother, arrives at the hospital and remains with him through the night.

March 2, 2026 — Emmanuel Cleeford Damas pronounced dead at 1:12 p.m. Cause of death listed as unknown pending investigation.

March 6, 2026 — ABC15 breaks story. ICE issues public statement.

March 9–18, 2026 — Family, Haitian community organizations, and elected officials demand answers. Senators Markey and Warren and Congresswoman Pressley engage the case.

March 28, 2026 — Memorial service held at Boston Teachers Union building in Dorchester. More than 100 community members attend. Twin brothers fold the Haitian flag over his coffin.

May 14, 2026 — Maricopa County Medical Examiner confirms cause of death: complications of necrotizing mediastinitis from untreated dental infection.

As of May 31, 2026 — No federal investigation announced. No charges filed. No congressional hearing scheduled. CoreCivic has not commented publicly.