Immigrant held at New Jersey ICE facility dies

Immigrant held at New Jersey ICE facility dies

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed that Edwin López-Cornejo, a 41-year-old man from El Salvador, died Saturday after suffering a medical emergency while in custody at Delaney Hall. The cause of death remains under investigation.

Medical Emergency Under Investigation

According to ICE, detention staff responded after López-Cornejo experienced a medical emergency, administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) before he was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. ICE said it has notified the detainee’s family, the Salvadoran consulate, the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General, and other required oversight agencies.

ICE stated that López-Cornejo had first entered the United States illegally in 2006, was deported later that year, and was arrested again in Plainfield, New Jersey, on June 18 before being transferred to Delaney Hall pending removal proceedings.

Lawmakers Demand Answers

The death has drawn immediate criticism from New Jersey elected officials, who have repeatedly questioned medical care and conditions inside the privately operated detention center.

After visiting Delaney Hall following the incident, U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez said officials were unable to answer key questions about the detainee’s medical treatment.

“We asked certain medical questions, which ICE couldn’t give us answers to,” Menendez said. “We have to request it, and his family has to request it.”

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka also renewed his criticism of the facility.

“This is a heartbreaking reminder of the consequences of a facility that has operated for far too long without adequate oversight, accountability, or transparency,” Baraka said in a statement.

Second Death at Delaney Hall

López-Cornejo’s death marks the second reported detainee death at Delaney Hall since the facility reopened as an ICE detention center. In December 2025, Haitian migrant Jean Wilson Brutus died after suffering what ICE described as a medical emergency shortly after arriving at the facility.

The detention center, operated by private prison contractor GEO Group under contract with ICE, has faced months of scrutiny over allegations of inadequate medical care, poor living conditions, and limited access for state inspectors. Federal officials have denied claims that conditions at the facility are inhumane and maintain that Delaney Hall complies with applicable standards.

Ongoing Legal and Political Battle

The latest death comes amid a broader dispute between New Jersey officials and the federal government over Delaney Hall’s operation.

Civil rights organizations argue that stronger oversight is needed to ensure detainees receive appropriate medical care, while federal officials continue to defend the facility’s operations and reject allegations of systemic neglect.

Authorities have not released an official cause of death, pending the results of a medical examination and investigation.