Arizona

At least 5 from Maine are in an Arizona ICE facility where a man died this week

Published

2 months ago

March 6, 2026

At least 5 from Maine are in an Arizona ICE facility where a man died this week

A federal immigration agent walks from a passenger van to a waiting bus in the back parking lot of Cabela’s in Scarborough on Jan. 20, 2026. (Daryn Slover/Staff Photographer)

At least five people detained in Maine by immigration agents during a January surge are being held at an Arizona facility where a Haitian man died this week of sepsis caused by an untreated tooth infection, according to his family.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has not confirmed the death of Emmanuel Damas, who lived in Dorchester, Massachusetts, when he was detained last year. Damas’ brother told the Boston Globe he didn’t get proper medical attention in ICE custody, and Massachusetts’ U.S. senators have called for an investigation into what they believe was likely a “highly preventable” death.

ICE has reported nine other deaths of people in custody this year.

Concerns about the conditions at the Central Arizona Florence Correctional Center and other ICE facilities underscore that immigrants without criminal records, including some of those who were targeted in Maine, are spending more than a month in custody, often in prisons that were built for people convicted of crimes.

Marcos Gaspar-Da Silva, who has no criminal history and is in the process of applying for a green card, is one of the Maine detainees at the central Arizona facility. He’s been there for a month.

His wife, Alessia, is a U.S. citizen and said while Marcos is in a special part of the prison with more freedom than the general population, he’s sick from drinking the water and eating food that’s cooked in it. He’s having gastrointestinal problems and vomiting that seem to get better only when he avoids the water, she said.

“We’re trying to switch him to eating just enough to stay alive while we work on his case,” she said. “How is this where we’ve gotten in America?”

She’s also deeply concerned that Gaspar-Da Silva is developing a toothache.

STUCK FOR WEEKS

Isaac Nzau is surprised he’s still waiting for his friend to come home. Nzau leads a congregation at a Portland church and on Jan. 20, his assistant pastor was detained during a trip to the grocery store. He does not have a criminal record and works legally in the U.S. His attorneys asked that his name not be published because they fear that he will face retaliation for speaking out.

Not long after his friend was detained, Nzau and the church’s congregation said they deeply missed the assistant pastor, but they were hopeful that he would be back with them soon.

“Normally he’s all over the place during services — singing, praying, giving people rides to and from church,” said congregant Maria Cesar, her face lighting up. “He pours his heart out for people that need help.”

“Pray for God to have grace on him,” Nzau said during a Sunday service on Feb. 8. Congregants waved their hands.

A month later, their prayers have not been answered. The assistant pastor is still detained in Arizona as his attorneys face off with government lawyers about whether or not he should be released — proceedings that can take months to unfold.

Even before Damas’ death this week, immigrant advocates said conditions at the central Arizona prison are poor, although the company that runs the prison disputes those claims.

The facility had a measles outbreak in February. Viruses and a lack of access to medical care have been problems there for several years, said Liz Casey, a social worker at the Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project, which provides free legal and social services to people who are detained in Arizona.

“With the increased enforcement and people being flown all over the country, going from facility to facility, that just increases the risk of infection,” Casey said.

CoreCivic operates the Arizona facility and many others where ICE is holding people.

“We take seriously our obligation to adhere to all applicable federal detention standards and will continue to ensure that all detainees receive appropriate and timely medical attention,” company spokesman Ryan Gustin said in an email. He declined to confirm Damas’ death.

He noted that CoreCivic has health care staff in the facility and coordinates with off-site providers and hospitals.

Casey’s group, the Florence Project, has filed complaints with the Department of Homeland Security alleging CoreCivic and ICE have violated detention standards. She’s visited detainees at the Arizona center and said the conditions there are “inhumane,” particularly for people who have chronic illnesses, disabilities and need specialty care.

This week’s death is the second at the Central Arizona Florence Correctional Center in the past year. In August, a detainee who had diabetes died after he contracted COVID-19.

Alessia Gaspar-Da Silva said that despite feeling sick, her husband Marcos’ time at the Central Arizona Florence Correctional Center has been better than at the temporary facilities where he was held in both that state and Louisiana. He told her those facilities were overcrowded and at times he had to use the bathroom in buckets and sleep on concrete floors without blankets.

During those frequent transfers in harsh conditions, Alessia said, immigration authorities tried to get her husband to agree to leave the country voluntarily.

Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-1st District, recently toured a facility in Massachusetts that held many of the “Operation Catch of the Day” detainees for their initial few days in custody. Attorneys allege it is “abysmal” and “unsanitary,” but Pingree said she did not witness those conditions on her visit.

ICE did not respond to a request for comment for this story. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told The New York Times in February that for detainees in custody across the country, “This is the best health care that many aliens have received in their entire lives.”

IN SEARCH OF SAFETY

The other people at the Arizona facility who were taken into custody in Maine in January include the roommate of the assistant pastor in Portland, as well as Kimuena Jonathan Nguinamau, who was detained in Auburn, and Inacio Joao, who was detained in Lewiston, according to ICE’s online locator.

The assistant pastor has been applying for asylum, said his attorney Lauren Kousaie in Portland. He’s from the Democratic Republic of the Congo where a lengthy war has killed 6 million people. He left in 2022, “because he was a member of an opposition political party and was being persecuted by the Congolese government,” Kousaie said.

He made the difficult journey to the U.S. because he wanted to live in a place “that respects human rights,” she said.

The community he has established in Maine includes his work at the church, his assistance for people in the congregation, and a job at a restaurant in Falmouth.

Andrea Dibanza, who attends their church, said she tried to call him the morning he was detained. “He drove me everywhere, including to school,” she said. He didn’t pick up the phone.

Weeks later, the assistant pastor called Kousaie’s office from detention. In French, he told a paralegal that it felt like “torture just like we were in our home countries.”

By now, as dozens of other people detained in January have been released and returned to Maine, Alessia Gaspar Da-Silva said she feels like the public has forgotten about people like her husband, or that they believe he must have done something wrong to still be in custody.

But the legal system takes time, she said, and as the days grind on, “We’re still living it.”

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Arizona

Arizona Lottery Pick 3, Fantasy 5 results for April 30, 2026

Published

18 minutes ago

May 1, 2026

Press Room

Arizona Lottery Pick 3, Fantasy 5 results for April 30, 2026

The Arizona Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at Thursday, April 30, 2026 results for each game:

Winning Pick 3 numbers

3-8-7

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Fantasy 5 numbers

18-20-26-28-32

Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Triple Twist numbers

05-07-20-30-34-41

Check Triple Twist payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news and results

What time is the Powerball drawing?

Powerball drawings are at 7:59 p.m. Arizona time on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

How much is a Powerball lottery ticket today?

In Arizona, Powerball tickets cost $2 per game, according to the Arizona Lottery.

How to play the Powerball

To play, select five numbers from 1 to 69 for the white balls, then select one number from 1 to 26 for the red Powerball.

You can choose your lucky numbers on a play slip or let the lottery terminal randomly pick your numbers.

To win, match one of the 9 Ways to Win:

5 white balls + 1 red Powerball = Grand prize.
5 white balls = $1 million.
4 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $50,000.
4 white balls = $100.
3 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $100.
3 white balls = $7.
2 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $7.
1 white ball + 1 red Powerball = $4.
1 red Powerball = $4.

There’s a chance to have your winnings increased two, three, four, five and 10 times through the Power Play for an additional $1 per play. Players can multiply non-jackpot wins up to 10 times when the jackpot is $150 million or less.

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Arizona Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $100 and may redeem winnings up to $599. For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Arizona Lottery offices. By mail, send a winner claim form, winning lottery ticket and a copy of a government-issued ID to P.O. Box 2913, Phoenix, AZ 85062.

To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a winner claim form and deliver the form, along with the ticket and government-issued ID to any of these locations:

Phoenix Arizona Lottery Office: 4740 E. University Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85034, 480-921-4400. Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes of any amount.

Tucson Arizona Lottery Office: 2955 E. Grant Road, Tucson, AZ 85716, 520-628-5107. Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes of any amount.

Phoenix Sky Harbor Lottery Office: Terminal 4 Baggage Claim, 3400 E. Sky Harbor Blvd., Phoenix, AZ 85034, 480-921-4424. Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Sunday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes up to $49,999.

Kingman Arizona Lottery Office: Inside Walmart, 3396 Stockton Hill Road, Kingman, AZ 86409, 928-753-8808. Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes up to $49,999.

Check previous winning numbers and payouts at https://www.arizonalottery.com/.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Arizona Republic editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Arizona

Study: Mexican community faces barriers to nature access in southern Arizona

Published

12 hours ago

April 30, 2026

Press Room

Study: Mexican community faces barriers to nature access in southern Arizona

by Leah Bowers, Cronkite News
April 30, 2026

PHOENIX – Access to nature in southern Arizona has been limited not only by environmental risks but also by immigration enforcement and cost, according to a study about barriers to outdoor access for Mexican immigrants and low-income people.

Fiorella Carlos Chavez wanted to celebrate her birthday at a local park – set up at a table in the shade, and enjoy the scenery.

“Then one of my friends told me, ‘You actually have to register and pay,’ and I said, ‘Register? I don’t get it’,” she said, referring to the fee required to reserve a picnic area for larger groups.

Carlos Chavez, a Peruvian immigrant and an assistant professor at Arizona State University, was surprised: “It blew my mind. This is a park, what do you mean you have to make a reservation?”

Mexican immigrants and low-income communities have limited access to nature in Tucson, not because of distance, but because of legal, economic and structural barriers, said Rebecca Crocker, an assistant research professor at the University of Arizona and one of the co-authors of the recent study.

“Each of us have different natural inclinations to what feels like nature,” Crocker said, adding that fear can hinder the experience and health effects of the outdoors.

“Whether that fear comes from the fact that you are worried you are going to see a rattlesnake or, more presently, you are worried about getting perceived by immigration enforcement and get deported.”

Crocker explained that many Latinos feel that moving across Arizona’s landscape has always put them at risk. “I feel that the localized experience of immigration surveillance in southern Arizona is very detrimental to people’s health in lots of ways. And not being able to feel free to move across the landscape that they now reside in is a huge piece of why it’s so unhealthy for them.”

Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests in Arizona more than tripled in fiscal year 2025 compared to the prior year, according to reporting by Arizona Luminaria, a nonprofit based in Tucson.

In March, the Tucson City Council unanimously approved an ordinance to restrict federal immigration enforcement on city property, barring staging or operations in areas such as parks.

Gary Nabhan, research social scientist emeritus at the University of Arizona, has spent decades studying what he calls the human microbiome — the trillions of microorganisms accumulated through contact with soil, plants and animals that form the foundation of the immune system.

Nabhan also refers to it as the “hidden landscape” on a person’s body – “a reflection of the natural landscape around us. We get those microbes from our contact with nature and animals and soil and plants.”

Nabhan links the lack of microbiomes and a weakened immune system to vulnerability to chronic diseases and shorter lifespans.

“It’s not just a perk, it’s not just an amenity for the rich,” said Peter James, an adjunct associate professor of Environmental Health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “We should really look at nature as just as important as the sewer system, the electricity grid. This is vital infrastructure.”

For Latino communities, that vital infrastructure is deeply rooted in history. Generations of people, particularly those of Mexican descent, worked the land in the U.S. Southwest as farmers and ranchers, shaped by Spanish colonization, Mexican land grants and ranching traditions.

In Tucson, the problem isn’t that parks don’t exist near Latino neighborhoods. It’s that for thousands of residents, those parks might as well be behind a wall.

James said that “objective access or availability of a park nearby” does not mean that Latino communities will use that park: “Proximity does not equal access.”

Carlos Chavez said in Latino communities, “people are overworked. … It’s a part of (their) identity.”

Even in her own life, she sees time in nature “as a luxury.”

“Yes, I want to go to the park, but I’m too tired, I’m not going to do it, or I have something else to do from work,” she said. “So I think it comes to that decision: Can I give up what I need to do now from work in order to enjoy the outdoors?”

This is one of the main barriers Crocker focused on in her study. Tiredness and lack of time are not only personal but also systematic barriers in the communities. “There’s always a deeper story there,” she said.

“To expect at the end of the day, someone is going to have time and energy and resources to figure this all out on their own is too much to expect of an individual person. We really need to look more structurally at how we can promote access,” Crocker said.

This <a target=”_blank” href=”https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2026/04/30/latino-community-nature-access-southern-arizona/”>article</a> first appeared on <a target=”_blank” href=”https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org”>Cronkite News</a> and is republished here under a <a target=”_blank” href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/”>Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.<img src=”https://i0.wp.com/cronkitenews.azpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/favicon1.png?resize=85%2C85&ssl=1″ style=”width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;”>

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Nature is out of reach for many Latinos in southern Arizona, new study finds <p>Leah Bowers, Cronkite News<br /> April 30, 2026 <p>PHOENIX – Access to nature in southern Arizona has been limited not only by environmental risks but also by immigration enforcement and cost, according to a study about barriers to outdoor access for Mexican immigrants and low-income people. <div class="mvp-post-ad-wrap"><span class="mvp-ad-label">Advertisement</span><div class="mvp-post-ad"> </div></div> <p>Fiorella Carlos Chavez wanted to celebrate her birthday at a local park – set up at a table in the shade, and enjoy the scenery. <p>“Then one of my friends told me, ‘You actually have to register and pay,’ and I said, ‘Register? I don’t get it’,” she said, referring to the fee required to reserve a picnic area for larger groups. <p>Carlos Chavez, a Peruvian immigrant and an assistant professor at Arizona State University, was surprised: “It blew my mind. This is a park, what do you mean you have to make a reservation?” <p>Mexican immigrants and low-income communities have limited access to nature in Tucson, not because of distance, but because of legal, economic and structural barriers, said Rebecca Crocker, an assistant research professor at the University of Arizona and one of the co-authors of the recent study. <p>“Each of us have different natural inclinations to what feels like nature,” Crocker said, adding that fear can hinder the experience and health effects of the outdoors. <div class="mvp-post-ad-wrap"><span class="mvp-ad-label">Advertisement</span><div class="mvp-post-ad"> </div></div> <p>“Whether that fear comes from the fact that you are worried you are going to see a rattlesnake or, more presently, you are worried about getting perceived by immigration enforcement and get deported.” <p>Crocker explained that many Latinos feel that moving across Arizona’s landscape has always put them at risk. “I feel that the localized experience of immigration surveillance in southern Arizona is very detrimental to people’s health in lots of ways. And not being able to feel free to move across the landscape that they now reside in is a huge piece of why it’s so unhealthy for them.” <p>Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests in Arizona more than tripled in fiscal year 2025 compared to the prior year, according to reporting by Arizona Luminaria, a nonprofit based in Tucson. <p>In March, the Tucson City Council unanimously approved an ordinance to restrict federal immigration enforcement on city property, barring staging or operations in areas such as parks. <p>Gary Nabhan, research social scientist emeritus at the University of Arizona, has spent decades studying what he calls the human microbiome — the trillions of microorganisms accumulated through contact with soil, plants and animals that form the foundation of the immune system.<div class="mvp-post-ad-wrap"><span class="mvp-ad-label">Advertisement</span><div class="mvp-post-ad"> </div></div> <p>Nabhan also refers to it as the “hidden landscape” on a person’s body – “a reflection of the natural landscape around us. We get those microbes from our contact with nature and animals and soil and plants.” <p>Nabhan links the lack of microbiomes and a weakened immune system to vulnerability to chronic diseases and shorter lifespans. <p>“It’s not just a perk, it’s not just an amenity for the rich,” said Peter James, an adjunct associate professor of Environmental Health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “We should really look at nature as just as important as the sewer system, the electricity grid. This is vital infrastructure.” <p>For Latino communities, that vital infrastructure is deeply rooted in history. Generations of people, particularly those of Mexican descent, worked the land in the U.S. Southwest as farmers and ranchers, shaped by Spanish colonization, Mexican land grants and ranching traditions. <p>In Tucson, the problem isn’t that parks don’t exist near Latino neighborhoods. It’s that for thousands of residents, those parks might as well be behind a wall.<div class="mvp-post-ad-wrap"><span class="mvp-ad-label">Advertisement</span><div class="mvp-post-ad"> </div></div> <p>James said that “objective access or availability of a park nearby” does not mean that Latino communities will use that park: “Proximity does not equal access.” <p>Carlos Chavez said in Latino communities, “people are overworked. … It’s a part of (their) identity.” <p>Even in her own life, she sees time in nature “as a luxury.” <p>“Yes, I want to go to the park, but I’m too tired, I’m not going to do it, or I have something else to do from work,” she said. “So I think it comes to that decision: Can I give up what I need to do now from work in order to enjoy the outdoors?” <p>This is one of the main barriers Crocker focused on in her study. Tiredness and lack of time are not only personal but also systematic barriers in the communities. “There’s always a deeper story there,” she said. <div class="mvp-post-ad-wrap"><span class="mvp-ad-label">Advertisement</span><div class="mvp-post-ad"> </div></div> <p>“To expect at the end of the day, someone is going to have time and energy and resources to figure this all out on their own is too much to expect of an individual person. We really need to look more structurally at how we can promote access,” Crocker said. <p>This article first appeared on Cronkite News and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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Arizona

Diamondbacks prospect Druw Jones hits for cycle in Double-A – Arizona Sports

Published

1 day ago

April 30, 2026

Press Room

Diamondbacks prospect Druw Jones hits for cycle in Double-A – Arizona Sports

Arizona Diamondbacks prospect Druw Jones needed a home run to complete the cycle when he dug into the batter’s box in the eighth inning of a Double-A game on Wednesday night.

Jones, playing for Double-A Amarillo, stayed behind the baseball and drove an inside pitch to right-center field for his first home run of the season, earning the first cycle in Sod Poodles history.

🚨 DRUW JONES CYCLE 🚨
The @Dbacks prospect becomes the first @sodpoodles player to notch the milestone! pic.twitter.com/5U9ubTtIga
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) April 30, 2026
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The 22-year-old knocked out the toughest leg first with a triple to right field in the third inning against the Midland Rockhounds (Athletics). Jones zoomed from home to third base in 11 seconds, Corbin Carroll-esque speed, for his first triple of the season.

Jones singled in the fifth on a ground ball that skipped under shortstop Joshua Kuroda-Grauer’s glove on what would have been a tight play at first base, and in the sixth, he doubled to right field.

His home run came off right-handed pitcher Mitch Myers to give Amarillo a 9-2 lead in a 10-2 win — infield prospect Cristofer Torin went back-to-back with Jones.

The last Diamondbacks major leaguer to hit for the cycle was Aaron Hill, who did so twice within 11 days of each other in 2012. The most recent cycle in Major League Baseball came from Minnesota’s Byron Buxton on July 12.

Jones is the No. 16 prospect in Arizona’s system as ranked by MLB Pipeline and No. 17 by Baseball America.

Known for his defense, the outfielder has gotten off to a slow start statistically with a .229/.345/.343 slash line in his first 19 games playing Double-A baseball. He hit .286 in Cactus League this past spring and performed well in the World Baseball Classic for Team Netherlands.

Follow @alexjweiner

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