Marie Ange Blaise
Marie Ange Blaise, a 44-year-old woman born in Haiti, was transferred to the Broward Transitional Center in Deerfield Beach, Florida, on April 5, 2025, while in immigration custody, and friends held there remembered her. Her son spoke with her by phone the evening she died, and he said she told him she had chest pains and abdominal cramps and that staff refused to help her see a doctor. Other detainees told deputies she collapsed in her cell, and she was pronounced dead after resuscitation efforts. The Broward County Medical Examiner's Office attributed her death to cardiovascular disease linked to high blood pressure and atherosclerosis, but her family disputes the care she received, and members of Congress visited the facility and called for an investigation.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of illness (disputed; neglect alleged). The Broward County Medical Examiner's autopsy ruled her death natural from cardiovascular disease, while her son says staff refused her requests to see a doctor after she reported chest pains.
Reported by: Broward County Medical Examiner's Office (medical examiner or coroner); her son; a fellow detainee.