A Haitian man came to Pennsylvania under Temporary Protected Status, working to build a life in Washington County while his sister reportedly sought a similar sliver of the American dream. But that dream collapsed after she was found dead days after her release from ICE detention.
Back in September, Daphy Michel— who came to the U.S. to seek asylum from Haiti— was experiencing significant mental health episodes, according to a neighbor, Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 reported. Michel, 31, faced two misdemeanor charges of harassment and threats, and had spent nearly six months in the Washington County Jail in Washington, Pennsylvania, on a $10,000 bond.
Her preliminary hearing was postponed seven times while she awaited a mental health evaluation, according to the Washington County Public Defender’s Office. Her charges were ultimately dismissed on Feb. 26. However, the Washington County Public Defender’s Office said ICE requested notification before she was released from jail due to an immigration detainer on her file, according to The Haitian Times.
Michel was processed Feb. 27 at the Pittsburgh Enforcement and Removal Operations office and enrolled in the agency’s Alternatives to Detention program, ICE reportedly confirmed. The program allows individuals with pending immigration cases to remain outside detention while complying with supervision requirements, including electronic ankle monitors, which Michel was fitted for.
Her brother, identified by Action News 4 as Carlo Michel, was anticipating her release. “What confuses everybody is the in-between part,” immigration attorney Joseph Murphy told The Haitian Times. “She was told the charges were dismissed, and she would be released.”
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