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Haitian asylum seeker found dead at Pittsburgh bus shelter after ICE monitoring release: 5 things to know
A Haitian asylum seeker, Daphy Michel, was found unresponsive in a Pittsburgh bus shelter days after her release from jail.
A Haitian asylum seeker was found unresponsive at a bus shelter in Pittsburgh just days after being released from jail and placed in a federal immigration monitoring program, according to local authorities and family members. The death of Daphy Michel, 31, has prompted questions about what happened.
Here are five key things to know about the case.
1. She was discovered unresponsive at a bus shelter
Michel was found on March 2 by maintenance workers at a Pittsburgh bus shelter, according to Port Authority Police. Officers attempted lifesaving measures, including CPR, use of an automated external defibrillator and Narcan, before she was transported to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in critical condition.
Doctors later told family members she suffered cardiac arrest. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office has not yet released an official cause of death.
2. Charges against her had recently been dismissed
Michel had been detained for nearly six months at Washington County Jail on misdemeanor charges of harassment and threats.
Court records show her preliminary hearing was postponed several times while she awaited a mental health evaluation. On Feb 26, a judge dismissed the charges, clearing the way for her release.
Her brother, Carlo Michel, told WTAE-TV he saw her in court shortly before she was released. “At the court, I saw my sister. I saw Daphy. She wasn’t having any problem,” he said through an interpreter.
3. ICE enrolled her in an electronic monitoring program
Instead of being released outright, Michel was processed by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Feb 27 and placed into the agency’s Alternatives to Detention program.
The program allows people with pending immigration cases to remain outside detention while complying with supervision requirements, which can include wearing an electronic ankle monitor.
4. The timeline between her release and death remains unclear
Immigration attorney Joseph Murphy, who is assisting Michel’s family, said the period between her release and death remains confusing.
“What confuses everybody is the in-between part,” Murphy said. “She was told the charges were dismissed and she would be released. Then four days later, the family gets a call that she’s dead.”
ICE later reported receiving a tamper alert from her monitoring device on March 3 indicating the strap had been removed, though by then her body had already been taken to the medical examiner’s office.
5. Her asylum case was still pending
According to ICE, Michel entered the United States through a legal port of entry in Brownsville, Texas in December 2022 and was granted humanitarian parole.
She later filed for asylum and had a hearing scheduled for April 16 with the Executive Office for Immigration Review.
Her brother said she came to the United States hoping for safety and a better future. “She came here looking for life,” he said.
Authorities have not yet determined the exact cause of Michel’s death, and questions remain about what happened in the days leading up to her discovery.
