'That Is Not Normal': Cathrine Miranda Wants Transparency After Haitian Man's Death in ICE Custody

Senator Catherine Miranda (D-AZ) is renewing her push for transparency in law enforcement after her recent amendment to a state immigration bill was voted down.

“My amendment to SB 1213 would require each law enforcement agency in Arizona to adopt written policies that require all peace officers to visibly display the officer’s name or badge number or both,” Sen. Miranda said. “There are masked individuals who are terrorizing communities across our nation, and that is not normal. We were told that ICE would only go after dangerous criminals, but we know that’s not the case.”

SB 1213 requires that if someone in the United States illegally is convicted of breaking a state or local law, both the court and the releasing agency must immediately notify federal immigration authorities -- ICE or Border Protection. That person would also be automatically disqualified from receiving probation.

Recent Actions

Miranda proposed the same measure earlier during debate on SB 1635, a law that makes it a crime for community members to warn others that law enforcement is nearby, but lawmakers rejected it both times.

The timing is notable. While SB 1635 penalizes bystanders for alerting others to nearby enforcement activity, lawmakers rejected Miranda's proposal that would have required those same officers to display their names or badge numbers. The state moved to hold community members accountable for their actions while voting down a basic transparency standard for the agents carrying out the arrests.

During the Senate debate, community members gathered to support Miranda’s proposal and call for more accountability from enforcement agencies. 

Recent Death in ICE Facility

Despite that, every Senate Republican voted against the ID policy and mask ban, while voting in favor of a measure that forces local law enforcement to cooperate with ICE. Her renewed effort comes amid growing concern over conditions in immigration detention centers.

This week, a Haitian asylum seeker named Emmanuel Damas became the tenth person to die in ICE custody this year. He died Monday, March 2, 2026, at a Scottsdale hospital after an untreated tooth infection worsened. 

Damas had been detained since September after being taken into custody in Boston and was held at the Florence detention center.

Reported by AZ Luminaria, Damas’s death brings the total number of people who have died in ICE custody to 37 since January 2025, according to an online database maintained by immigration researcher Austin Kocher.

Three of those deaths occurred in Arizona facilities.

Miranda has vowed to keep pressing the issue, and community advocates say they plan to stand beside her every step of the way.