Arizona

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

Published

5 days 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 He does not have a criminal record and works legally in the U.S. His attorneys asked that his name not be published because they fear that he will face retaliation for speaking out.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 baseball falls to ASU in midweek nonconference game

Published

5 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

Arizona baseball falls to ASU in midweek nonconference game

TEMPE – The Phoenix metro has not been kind to Arizona baseball through the first month of the season.

Arizona fell to rival ASU 10-4 on Tuesday night in front of a packed crowd at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. The Wildcats clawed back after falling behind 6-1, but the Sun Devils closed the door in the late innings.

The nonconference game was the first of five matchups between the rivals, with the UA hosting a 3-game Big 12 Conference series in early April followed by one more non-league game in Tempe.

Arizona (6-10) is now 0-4 in the Phoenix area, with three losses coming in the opening weekend College Baseball Series in Surprise. Arizona dropped to 0-3 in midweek games.

Collin McKinney got the start for the Wildcats, allowing four earned runs on five hits and six strikeouts. McKinney conceded one run in the first inning but escaped out of a bases loaded jam. He looked sharp until giving up a 2-run homer to ASU’s Dean Toigo in the fourth inning.

“We saw the velocity at times. We saw the breaking stuff,” Arizona coach Chip Hale said. “It was very encouraging from us on our side for him.“

The Sun Devils tacked on three more runs in the fourth, including a 2-run blast from Landon Hairston off reliever Matthew Martinez.

Arizona answered in the sixth inning when sophomore catcher Roman Meyers drilled a 450-feet 3-run homer to bring the score to 6-4. It was Meyers’ third homer of the season.

“He always has a chance. He’s got massive power,” Hale said. “So if he hits it he has a chance for a home run.”

Arizona’s five through nine hitters combined for six of the team’s eight hits, led by 2-hit games from Caleb Danzeisen and Cash Brennan.

Arizona’s offense, however, couldn’t keep up with the Sun Devils, who added runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings to pull away. Wildcats pitchers gave up eight free bases on the night.

Arizona is back in action Friday when it begins Big 12 play at Utah. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. MST.

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Arizona

WATCH: How Helping One Woman provides hope and support with ‘Girl’s Night Out’

Published

17 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

WATCH: How Helping One Woman provides hope and support with ‘Girl’s Night Out’

PEORIA, AZ — What if a simple dinner could help someone rebuild their life? In Peoria, a local chapter of Helping One Woman is doing just that by gathering once a month for a “Girls Night Out” with a powerful purpose.

Each month, women in the community nominate someone facing an unimaginable challenge: the loss of a spouse or child, a cancer diagnosis, or another life-altering hardship. That woman becomes the evening’s honoree.

At the dinner, attendees each contribute at least $10 and take part in raffles supported by local businesses. By the end of the night, the funds raised are gifted directly to the recipient to help with expenses during a difficult time.

But organizers say the money is only part of the impact. The room full of encouragement, hugs, and shared support can be just as powerful.

ABC15’s Cameron Polom talked with the Peoria chapter president and two women whose lives were changed thanks to the group’s generosity. See the full Uplifting Arizona story in the video player above.

See more from Uplifting Arizona:

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Arizona

What have the Cardinals done in NFL free agency? – Arizona Sports

Published

1 day ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

What have the Cardinals done in NFL free agency? – Arizona Sports

The NFL’s legal tampering window is officially open, and it didn’t take long for the Arizona Cardinals to get in the mix.

A running list of the new names and familiar faces coming to Arizona in 2026:

New names on Cardinals roster this free agency

Kendrick Bourne

The former San Francisco 49ers and New England Patriots wide receiver brings another body to Arizona’s wide receivers room that includes Michael Wilson and Marvin Harrison Jr.

He’s got plenty of familiarity with new Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur from their time together in San Francisco (2017-20). Bourne also spent a year with expected Cardinals starter Jacoby Brissett in 2024 with the Patriots.

The wide receiver caught 37 passes for 551 yards in 16 games played (eight starts) last year.

He’s now on board for two years in Arizona.

Isaac Seumalo

The guard spent the past three years with the Pittsburgh Steelers after a seven-season stint with the Philadelphia Eagles.

He’s started 104 out of 125 games played and has spent time at both left and right guard during his NFL career.

According to Next Gen Stats, the guard allowed a 3.7% pressure rate last year. That was the lowest rate among all eligible guards in 2025.

Gardner Minshew

Minshew agreed to terms on a one-year deal on Monday.

He’s expected to back up expected starter Jacoby Brissett in 2026, according to Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro.

Coming off his seventh NFL season and first with the Kansas City Chiefs, Minshew appeared in four games (one start) last year. He completed 46.2% of his throws for 37 yards and an interception.

Before landing with the Chiefs, Minshew spent time with the Las Vegas Raiders (2024), Indianapolis Colts (2023), Philadelphia Eagles (2021-22) and Jacksonville Jaguars (2019-20).

RB Tyler Allgeier

Allgeier comes over to Arizona on a reported two-year contract.

Before agreeing to terms on the $12.25 million deal with Arizona on Monday, Allgeier played four seasons with the Atlanta Falcons.

He ran for 514 yards and eight touchdowns on 143 carries last year, while adding another 14 catches for 96 yards.

While he worked mostly behind Bijan Robinson the past three years, Allgeier did surpass the 1,000-yard mark as a rookie in 2022.

Familiar faces

L.J. Collier

Collier is back on a one-year deal.

The defensive lineman appeared in four games in 2025 due to a knee injury suffered in Week 2.

He recorded six tackles and two QB hits in what was his third season with the team.

Roy Lopez

After a one-year stint with the Detroit Lions, Lopez is back with his hometown team on a reported two-year deal.

In 17 games played last year, he recorded two sacks, four tackles for loss and a pass defensed.

Before his time in Detroit, Lopez spent two seasons with Arizona from 2023-24. During that span, he registered a sack, six tackles for loss, three passes defensed and a forced fumble in 30 games played (21 starts).

K Chad Ryland

Ryland is back on a one-year deal, the team announced.

Ryland went through plenty of struggles last season after a having a career year in 2024. His accuracy dropped from 87.5% in 2024 to 75.8% last season. He was especially inconsistent from 40 yards and on, compiling a 13-of-20 mark (65%). Inside 40 yards, though, Ryland was 12-of-13 (92.3%).

Arizona brought in kicker Josh Karty late in the year (more on him later), but Ryland never gave up his role and appeared in all 17 games.

A one-year deal isn’t going to break the bank by any means.

P Blake Gillikin

The Cardinals must feel pretty good about where Gillikin is at in his recovering from a back injury last year with their signing of the punter to a one-year deal.

Before he went down five games into the season, the punter was leading the league in yards per punt with 51.7.

Not only that, across his five seasons (65 games) in the NFL, he holds the all-time record for yards per punt at 48.5.

Staying healthy is key for Gillikin, who also missed time in 2024 due to an ankle injury.

RB James Conner

Technically not a free agent, Conner was a potential cut candidate given his contract.

But after reportedly revising his deal, Conner is returning for his sixth season with the Cardinals.

The running back brings plenty of leadership and a bruising running style to the mix.

He’s coming off an abbreviated 2025 (three games) due to an ankle injury but had rushed for a pair of 1,000-yard seasons the two years prior. He scored at least seven rushing touchdowns each season from 2022-24.

CB Sean Murphy-Bunting

Much like Conner, Murphy-Bunting was another prime cut candidate due to his contract but reportedly revised his deal with Arizona as well.

Murphy-Bunting has a lot to prove after missing all of 2025 due to an injury suffered away from the team facility.

In his first season with the Cardinals, the cornerback recorded 52 tackles, three interceptions, five passes defensed and two forced fumbles across 15 starts.

Follow @Tdrake4sports

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