Overview
- Daphy Michel was released from ICE custody with an ankle monitor on Feb. 27, 2026, and was later seen on transit video sitting in a South Side Pittsburgh bus shelter from Feb. 28 into March 2.
- Pittsburgh Regional Transit officers found Michel unresponsive on March 2 and she died after hospital care; the Allegheny County Medical Examiner on June 12 ruled the cause of death hypothermia and the manner a homicide.
- The medical examiner described Michel as a vulnerable adult with untreated severe mental‑health issues and a significant language barrier at the time of her release.
- The Department of Homeland Security has said ICE was not responsible and that she was released with belongings and a charged phone, while the family’s attorney says ICE’s actions led to her death and plans to sue.
- Local officials have demanded answers, prosecutors have not publicly opened a confirmed criminal probe, and the ruling is intensifying scrutiny of federal release practices for vulnerable detainees and related reporting policies.