Group demands justice, accountability in the death of Haitian woman in ICE custody
SAN DIEGO, California (CMC) – The California-based Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA) is demanding justice and accountability in the death of a Haitian woman in the custody of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.
HBA’s executive director, Guerline Jozef, told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that she is “devastated and outraged by the tragic death” of Marie Ange Blaise, 44, who died on April 25 while in the custody of ICE at the Broward Transitional Centre in Pompano Beach, Florida.
Jozef said Blaise had been detained for over 10 weeks after being apprehended in the US Virgin Islands, during which she “reportedly endured inhumane conditions and was denied adequate medical attention”.
Jozef said others detained by ICE also alleged that they were “kept handcuffed and shackled on a bus for several hours without access to a bathroom, confined in overcrowded cells, and denied basic necessities and medical care both en route to and within the Krome North Processing Centre in Miami”.
She said this marks at least the seventh death in ICE custody so far this year and “underscores a broader pattern of systemic negligence and abuse in immigration detention.
“We are heartbroken and enraged by the death of Marie Ange Blaise. Her passing is not an isolated incident but part of a broader, systemic failure that dehumanises immigrants and subjects them to cruel and inhumane treatment.
“The conditions she endured reflect a blatant disregard for human dignity and life. We demand justice for Marie. We call for an immediate, independent investigation into her death, and urge Congress especially the oversight committee, the Florida congressional delegation and local authorities to hold ICE …and all those and that the US must end the inhumane detention of immigrants and uphold the dignity and rights of all individuals, regardless of race, nationality, or immigration status.”
She said HBA calls on the US Department of Justice to launch a “fully independent investigation” into the circumstances of Blaise’s death.
“We also call on the Florida congressional delegation to use its oversight authority to hold ICE, the GEO Group, contractors and the Trump administration accountable. Marie Ange Blaise should be alive today. Her death must not be in vain,” Jozef added.
