Haitian Woman Dies in ICE Custody at Broward Transitional Center

Marie Ange Blaise, a 44-year-old Haitian woman, died while in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody at the Broward Transitional Center in Florida, with her cause of death under investigation. Blaise was initially apprehended in February at an airport in Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, for attempting to travel without a valid immigrant visa and was subsequently transferred through multiple ICE facilities in Puerto Rico, Louisiana, and Florida. Advocacy groups and other detainees have raised concerns about allegedly poor and inhumane conditions in ICE custody, including inadequate medical care and overcrowding, with some suggesting her death may have been preventable. ICE officials maintain that detainees receive comprehensive medical care and have stated a full report on Blaise’s death will be released within 90 days, as required by congressional mandate. The incident has drawn attention to the treatment of Haitian immigrants and broader issues surrounding the detention of individuals traveling from U.S. territories who may have legal protections. Blaise’s death is one of several recent fatalities reported in ICE detention facilities in South Florida.