Haitian National Dies in ICE Custody at Florida Detention Center

By Staff Writer | Editorial credit: Matt Gush / shutterstock.com 

Miami, FL, April 30, 2024 — A 44-year-old Haitian woman, Marie Ange Blaise, died in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody at the Broward Transitional Center (BTC) in Pompano Beach, Florida, on April 25, 2025. Blaise was pronounced dead by medical professionals at 8:35 p.m., according to an ICE statement  released this week. The cause of death remains under investigation.

Blaise’s immigration case began when she was encountered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on February 12 at the Henry E. Rohlsen International Airport in Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, while attempting to board a flight to Charlotte, North Carolina. She lacked valid documentation and was issued a Notice of Expedited Removal for attempting to enter the country without an immigrant visa.

Following standard protocol, CBP transferred Blaise to ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Miami at the San Juan staging facility in Puerto Rico. From there, she was moved to Richwood Correctional Center in Oakdale, Louisiana, under the custody of ERO New Orleans. On April 5, she was transferred back to ERO Miami and detained at the BTC, where she remained until her death.

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In keeping with ICE policy, the agency notified the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General and the ICE Office of Professional Responsibility via its Integrity Coordination Center. The Haitian Consulate in Miami was also formally notified.

ICE stated that Blaise received medical, dental, and mental health screenings upon entering custody and had access to 24-hour emergency care. The agency emphasized that all individuals in its custody are held in “safe, secure, and humane environments” and denied that detainees are ever refused emergency medical treatment.

ICE’s policy requires that deaths in custody be publicly reported within two business days and that full investigative reports be made available within 90 days, pursuant to the 2018 DHS Appropriations Act. 

The death of Marie Ange Blaise adds to growing concerns over conditions in immigration detention facilities, particularly those involving medically vulnerable detainees. Advocacy groups have repeatedly called for increased transparency, accountability, and alternatives to detention for non-violent immigration offenders.

The investigation into Blaise’s death is ongoing.

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