A medical examiner’s report issued Monday verified that a Haitian immigrant’s death following months in an Arizona immigration detention center stemmed from dental complications, supporting claims made by his relatives.
However, the findings also revealed that 56-year-old Emmanuel Damas had refused multiple dental treatment recommendations to extract problematic teeth, contrary to his brother’s earlier assertions that he died from an untreated tooth infection.
The Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office determined Damas succumbed to complications from a chest infection accompanied by abscesses in his neck and throat regions. The official cause of death also cited his serious dental conditions.
Damas passed away while held at the Central Arizona Florence Correctional Center in Florence, Arizona, marking him as one of no fewer than 51 detainees who have perished in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody since President Donald Trump’s second term commenced in January 2025.
Similar to his case, medical examiners have classified most of these deaths as resulting from natural causes. Medical professionals have noted that many stem from conditions that could be prevented through prompt and adequate healthcare.
His death stands as the sole case where dental issues have been identified as a cause or contributing element among three dozen fatalities for which such information has been made public by medical examiners and coroners.
The autopsy findings indicated that Damas was placed on a waiting list following an October dental examination that recommended extraction of a specific tooth. When the opportunity for removal arrived three months afterward, the report stated he refused the procedure, claiming the tooth no longer caused pain.
During a follow-up appointment in mid-February, Damas again rejected advice to have teeth extracted. Several days later, when Damas reported throat pain and stomach discomfort, detention facility personnel recommended he visit the medical unit, but he declined, the autopsy report noted.
Medical staff transported him to a hospital on Feb. 19 due to respiratory failure and subsequently transferred him to additional hospitals for advanced treatment. He passed away on March 2 at a Scottsdale hospital.
Raymond Audain, an attorney representing Damas’ relatives, stated in a release that Damas died due to failures by ICE and the private corrections corporation operating the Florence facility to deliver essential medical treatment.
The family also commissioned a private pathologist to perform an independent autopsy on Damas, although Audain refused to provide that report when requested by The Associated Press.
The county’s autopsy “confirms what Mr. Damas’s family has determined through its own investigation: that Mr. Damas died of sepsis as a result of a descending infection from his head and neck that started with him experiencing tooth pain. Mr. Damas begged prison staff for medical care on numerous occasions including the night before he was hospitalized, but he was ignored,” Audain wrote.
CoreCivic, the company that manages the Florence facility, issued a statement saying it regards detainee deaths at its locations with gravity.
“While we’re unable to share specific information about a detainee’s medical care due to federal privacy laws, we are committed to providing safe, humane and respectful care for everyone entrusted to us,” CoreCivic said. “We take seriously our obligation to adhere to all applicable federal detention standards and will continue to ensure that all detainees receive appropriate and timely medical attention
The AP left a message with ICE seeking comment on the autopsy report.
