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Family to sue after woman released from ICE custody froze to death
The Guardian • • general
Key Points:
- The family of Daphy Michel, a Haitian immigrant who froze to death at a Pittsburgh bus shelter after being released by ICE, plans to file a lawsuit against the US government and other entities within weeks.
- Michel, who had severe untreated mental health issues and a language barrier, was released with an ankle monitor and left to make her way home in freezing temperatures wearing summer clothes; her death was ruled a homicide due to hypothermia.
- The lawsuit will argue that ICE failed to consider Michel's vulnerability and the risks of releasing her alone on unfamiliar city streets in winter, with her attorney criticizing the decision as a grave error.
- Surveillance footage showed Michel at the bus shelter for about 24 hours before being found unresponsive; authorities attempted resuscitation but she died in hospital.
- DHS has denied responsibility for Michel's death, calling her an illegal alien despite her legal status and pending asylum application, while local police are investigating the circumstances surrounding her release and death.
