Daphy Michel, a 31-year-old Haitian asylum seeker recently released from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody in Pittsburgh, died of hypothermia in early March, a medical examiner has ruled a homicide. Michel was found lying on the ground near a steel bench where she had reportedly spent several days exposed to frigid temperatures.

Security footage from the Pittsburgh transit authority shows Michel sitting on the bench for nearly three days following her release on February 27. According to her family’s attorney, Joseph Patrick Murphy, she remained in place despite cold overnight temperatures dipping below freezing. Michel’s belongings, including a cellphone, were by her side as she appeared unable to leave. She was transported to a hospital after being found unresponsive but died there on March 2.

The Allegheny County medical examiner’s office confirmed on June 12 that the cause of death was hypothermia and classified it as a homicide. Public information officer Jim Madalinsky said the forensic pathologist determined Michel was a vulnerable adult with untreated severe mental health issues and a significant language barrier when released. While “homicide” indicates death caused by another person’s actions, it does not necessarily implicate criminal conduct.

Michel had entered the United States through the southern border in 2022 and was granted humanitarian parole. She died before her first immigration court hearing. A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokeswoman stated that Michel was released with all her possessions and a fully charged phone but did not specify the exact release time. DHS spokeswoman Lauren Bis said the department was not responsible for Michel’s death, noting she died three days after ICE’s encounter.

Michel’s death parallels a separate January incident in Buffalo, New York, where Nurul Amin Shah Alam, a visually impaired Rohingya refugee, died after being left outside a closed coffee shop by immigration agents during cold weather; his death is also ruled a homicide and is under investigation.

Advocates and Michel’s family attorney have questioned ICE’s handling of her release, citing her history of untreated mental illness and the lack of notification to family members. Murphy said Michel lived with her brother, who was not contacted by ICE until notified by the morgue days later. The Haitian Bridge Alliance, an immigrant advocacy group, criticized ICE for failing to ensure Michel’s safe transition back into the community, emphasizing protocols that should account for vulnerable individuals.

ICE detention guidelines require agents to consider detainees’ special vulnerabilities, provide transportation if necessary, and offer phone calls to arrange safe release plans. According to court records, Michel was arrested in September 2025 on charges related to terroristic threats after exhibiting signs of mental illness while in custody but was released after the case was dismissed.

Local authorities, including the Allegheny County district attorney’s office, have said they are reviewing records but have not confirmed whether an official investigation will be launched. Meanwhile, Michel’s obituary reflects her role as a beloved member of Pittsburgh’s Haitian community, highlighting the social and political turmoil in Haiti that prompted her flight from the country.