Haitian woman's death ruled homicide after ICE release

The death of a Haitian asylum seeker found at a Pittsburgh bus stop has been ruled a homicide by a Pennsylvania medical examiner, a finding that places new scrutiny on immigration enforcement practices. Daphy Michel, 31, died of hypothermia on March 2, three days after being released from federal immigration custody.

The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office announced the ruling last week, stating the manner of death was homicide. Officials clarified the classification means the death resulted from the actions or inaction of another person and is not itself a finding of criminal guilt. The office said Michel was a vulnerable adult suffering from untreated severe mental health issues and a significant language barrier at the time of her release from Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody on February 27.

Michel arrived at the U.S. southern border in 2022 and was granted humanitarian parole. Last summer, she was arrested in Pennsylvania for yelling at imaginary people, according to her family’s attorney, Joseph Patrick Murphy. She spent six months in the Washington County Jail undergoing psychiatric evaluations. After a magistrate determined she could not be held for...