National Dental Association Calls for Investigation into Preventable Death of Haitian Asylum Seeker and Raises Moral Concerns About Inhumane Detention Conditions
The NDA demands accountability after Emmanuel Damas died from an untreated tooth infection while in federal immigration detention — a tragedy that was entirely preventable with timely dental care.
Official StatementHealth EquityHuman Rights
March 2026
The National Dental Association (NDA), the nation's leading voice for minority oral health professionals and health equity, is calling for an immediate investigation into the tragic and preventable death of Haitian asylum seeker Emmanuel Damas, who reportedly died after an untreated tooth infection while in federal immigration detention.
According to public reports, Mr. Damas complained of severe tooth pain for days while detained at the Florence Correctional Center in Arizona. His family reports that he was repeatedly given only pain medication before eventually collapsing and being hospitalized with septic shock. Medical professionals have indicated that the infection likely spread from his tooth to his throat and lungs. He died on March 2 after spending days on life support.
No person in the United States should die from a toothache.
Untreated dental infections are not minor ailments. Dentists and physicians know that infections originating in the mouth can rapidly spread through the bloodstream to the lungs, brain, or heart, causing life-threatening complications. With timely dental intervention, these deaths are entirely preventable.
Healthcare is a basic human right. Human dignity does not stop at the walls of a detention facility.
A Tragedy That Echoes History
The Death of Deamonte Driver — 2007
This tragedy painfully echoes the 2007 death of 12-year-old Deamonte Driver in Prince George's County, Maryland, whose untreated tooth infection spread to his brain. That case shocked the nation and exposed the deadly consequences of ignoring oral health needs.
Nearly two decades later, it is unconscionable that another preventable death linked to an untreated dental infection has occurred.
Confronting a Deeper Moral Issue
Beyond the urgent medical questions raised by this case, the circumstances surrounding Mr. Damas' death force the nation to confront a deeper moral issue of immigration detention altogether.
Grave Concerns
Reports that Mr. Damas' pleas for help were dismissed, that his symptoms were minimized, and that he remained restrained while unconscious raise moral questions about the humanity of the detention process itself.
The National Dental Association believes that any system of detention that allows a person to suffer for days with untreated infection, pain, and swelling before receiving care must be examined for both its medical and moral failures.
The NDA Calls For
1 A full federal investigation into the circumstances surrounding Emmanuel Damas' death.
2 Transparent review of medical and dental care protocols within immigration detention facilities.
3 Immediate implementation of clear standards ensuring timely access to emergency dental care for all detainees.
4 Independent oversight to ensure that medical complaints — including dental pain — are treated urgently and humanely.
5 A broader review of detention policies altogether.
The United States has the resources, expertise, and moral responsibility to ensure that no one dies from a treatable dental infection.
The National Dental Association extends its deepest condolences to the family of Emmanuel Damas and calls upon policymakers, healthcare leaders, and federal authorities to ensure accountability and systemic reform so that this tragedy is never repeated.
Wallace J. Bellamy, DMD
President — National Dental Association
8007 Laguna Blvd, Suite 3
Elk Grove, CA 95758
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