A Haitian woman held for more than 10
weeks in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody under
reportedly harsh and inhumane conditions has died, sparking renewed calls for
accountability and reform.
Marie Ange Blaise, 44, passed away on April 25 at 8:35
p.m., according to a statement released by ICE. The agency said the cause of
death remains under investigation.
Blaise was apprehended by federal agents in
mid-February at an airport in Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, as she
attempted to board a flight to Charlotte, North Carolina. ICE stated that
Blaise did not possess a valid immigrant visa, though further details about her
immigration status were not disclosed.
Following her detention, Blaise was initially
transferred to a holding facility in San Juan, Puerto Rico, alongside other
immigrant women apprehended at the San Juan airport. The group was later moved
to the Krome North Processing Center in Miami, where several detainees
described dire conditions during interviews with USA TODAY.
Speaking anonymously, the women alleged that they were shackled for hours
without bathroom access, held in overcrowded cells, and denied basic
necessities and medical care.
Although Blaise did not speak directly to the media,
detainees confirmed her presence during the alleged mistreatment. After her
time at Krome, Blaise was moved to a privately operated ICE facility in
Louisiana, where she remained for seven weeks before being transferred on April
5 to the Broward Transitional Center in Pompano Beach, Florida.
Her death has drawn sharp criticism from immigrant
rights advocates. “We strongly believe her death could have been prevented,”
said Guerline Jozef, executive director of the Haitian Bridge Alliance. “We
will continue to demand accountability and protection for people in ICE
custody.”
ICE data reveals that Blaise is the seventh person to
die in immigration custody in the current fiscal year, which began in October
2024.
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