Inset: Emmanuel Damas (Damas family). Background: The ICE facility in Arizona where Emmanuel Damas was being held before his death from a tooth infection (AZFamily/YouTube).
A 56-year-old man held in ICE custody in Arizona complained about "experiencing severe tooth pain" and "repeatedly requested medical care" but federal agents ignored him, leading to his death from a "septic infection," according to his family and local lawmakers.
Arizona Reps. Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07), Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03) and Greg Stanton (AZ-04) are calling for an investigation into Emmanuel Damas' demise, along with his family and their attorney, as the Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner released its primary cause of death for the Haitian asylum seeker this week: "complications of necrotizing mediastinitis with neck and retropharyngeal abscess in the setting of severe dental caries and periodontal disease."
Attorney Raymond Audain, who is representing the Damas family, tells AZFamily they are "reviewing the ME's newly released information" and weighing next steps.
"His death is unacceptable and raises grave concerns over treatment and quality of healthcare that individuals in ICE custody receive," a letter from Grijalva, Ansari, and Stanton to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem blasted in March after Damas died.
According to the lawmakers, Damas had been detained at the Florence Correctional Center for approximately four months before he passed away on March 2.
"On February 12th, 2026, he sought medical attention for severe tooth pain and was given only ibuprofen," their letter said. "He died in an Arizona hospital … from sepsis, as a result of an untreated infection."
Chandler City Councilwoman Christine Ellis tells AZFamily that Damas' family reached out to her in early March asking for help, as well as members of Congress. "As a nurse, the first thing that I felt was a shock that someone could actually in the United States die with a toothache," Ellis says.
A timeline released by DHS alleged that Damas was hospitalized for shortness of breath a week after his family says he first complained about his pain and neck swelling. But the timeline did not mention a toothache, per AZFamily.
It wasn't until the ME's cause of death came out this week that Damas' family confirmed what they thought all along, Ellis says.
"It does give us answers," the councilwoman tells AZFamily. "It's a sign of relief that they were able to do their thorough investigation and come back with the right answer, because all along we knew that's the only reason why he was sick."
Grijalva, Ansari, and Stanton have requested a "complete accounting of the medical care" Damas received while in federal immigration custody and "full investigation into the circumstances surrounding Mr. Damas's death," according to their letter.
"The medical examiner's preliminary findings make this preventable tragedy even more horrifying," Grijalva said in a statement Thursday. "A toothache should never escalate into a fatal medical emergency, especially while someone is in government custody and entirely dependent on detention staff for access to care."
Dentist John Osborn told the Arizona Daily Star that based on the ME's findings, he believes bacteria spread through Damas' gums and throughout his body.
"It sounds like that created the opportunity for a blood-borne infection and that's what killed him," Osborn said. "It sounds like his infected teeth killed him."
Florence Correctional Center is operated by CoreCivic, a for-profit prison company that told the Daily Star it could not comment on specifics surrounding Damas' death. A spokesperson said, "All detainees have daily access to sign up for medical care, including mental health service."
The rep added, "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."
DHS did not respond to Law&Crime's requests for comment on Thursday.
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