Daphy Michel, a vulnerable asylum seeker from Haiti, died on 2 March 2026 in Pittsburgh after being released from federal custody. Her death has been ruled a homicide by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office, which cited hypothermia as the cause. The ruling indicates that the death was caused by the actions of another individual, though it does not constitute a criminal charge.
Background and Circumstances
Michel, 31, was found at a bus shelter in Pittsburgh. She had been granted humanitarian parole after arriving at the southern border in 2022, but her asylum hearing was scheduled for two weeks after her death. According to her family's attorney, Joseph Patrick Murphy, Michel suffered from untreated severe mental health issues and a significant language barrier at the time of her release on 27 February.
She had been arrested the previous summer for yelling at imaginary people due to psychiatric challenges, spending six months in Washington County Jail. A magistrate ruled she could not be held for threatening imaginary people, but ICE then arrested her, placed an ankle monitor on her, and transported her 25 miles to Pittsburgh. She was left at a bus shelter in winter wearing inadequate clothing.
Legal and Official Reactions
Murphy expects Michel's family to file a lawsuit against ICE. However, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, Lauren Bis, stated that ICE had nothing to do with her death, noting that she passed away three days after ICE encountered her. Bis claimed Michel had all her belongings and a fully charged phone, with public transportation available. She also stated that ICE learned of her death through the news media and that her ankle monitor had been tampered with.
Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato called Michel's death a tragedy that could have been avoided with a little humanity. US Representative Summer Lee echoed this, stating that Michel deserved care, shelter, language access, and medical support.
Policy Changes and Implications
ICE has stopped reporting deaths of detainees within 30 days of release, ending a policy adopted in 2021. Health experts argue this will obscure the true number of deaths and fail to address medical care issues.
