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Salvadoran Man Dies in ICE Custody at New Jersey’s Delaney Hall/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ A 41-year-old man from El Salvador died while detained at Delaney Hall, a New Jersey immigration facility facing protests and complaints about conditions. ICE says Edwin Lopez-Cornejo received appropriate medical attention, while Democratic officials and immigrant advocates question whether his death could have been prevented. The case has renewed scrutiny of ICE’s medical care, death-reporting policy and resistance to state inspections of the 1,000-bed detention center.

Quick Look

• Edwin Lopez-Cornejo, 41, died Saturday while detained at Delaney Hall.
• ICE arrested him on June 18 and accused him of entering the United States illegally.
• His official cause of death remains under medical examination.
• ICE says Lopez-Cornejo received proper care while in custody.
• Sen. Cory Booker called for Delaney Hall to be closed permanently.
• Detainees have complained about medical care, medication access and living conditions.
• Some detainees reportedly launched a hunger strike earlier this year.
• The Trump administration denies allegations of abuse or poor conditions.
• Private prison contractor Geo Group owns the 1,000-bed facility.
• Another detainee, Jean Wilson Brutus, died at Delaney Hall in December.
• Rep. Rob Menendez said another person processed there died in July.
• ICE no longer reports deaths occurring within 30 days of release from custody.
• At least 56 people have died in ICE custody during Trump’s second term.
• New Jersey says it has faced obstruction while trying to inspect Delaney Hall.

Deep Look

Salvadoran Man Dies at Newark Immigration Jail

Edwin Lopez-Cornejo, a 41-year-old man from El Salvador, died Saturday while being held at Delaney Hall, an immigration detention facility in Newark, New Jersey.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Lopez-Cornejo had been detained at the facility since his arrest on June 18.

Federal authorities accused him of entering the United States illegally.

ICE said additional medical examination would be needed before officials release an official cause of death.

Officials Question Whether Death Was Preventable

Democratic lawmakers and civil rights organizations in New Jersey questioned whether Lopez-Cornejo’s death could have been prevented.

They said they lacked confidence that people detained at the 1,000-bed facility were receiving adequate medical treatment.

ICE Defends Medical Care

ICE defended the treatment provided to Lopez-Cornejo during his detention.

The agency said he “received proper medical care and was seen by medical professionals” while he was in custody.

Officials did not immediately provide additional information about his medical condition, treatment or the circumstances leading to his death.

Detainees Report Poor Conditions

People detained at Delaney Hall have called for improvements in living conditions and medical services.

Some detainees have said they were denied needed medication.

Earlier this year, several people detained at the facility began a hunger strike, according to Cosecha, an immigrant advocacy organization.

The Trump administration has denied that a hunger strike occurred and rejected allegations of mistreatment or inadequate conditions inside the facility.

Delaney Hall Becomes Protest Flashpoint

Delaney Hall has become a major site for demonstrations against President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement campaign.

Protesters have attempted to prevent vehicles from entering or leaving the detention center.

Trump and administration officials have defended the facility’s operations and dismissed claims of abuse, poor conditions and inadequate medical care.

Private Contractor Owns Facility

Delaney Hall is owned by Geo Group, a private prison contractor that operates several detention facilities around the United States.

The company did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment about Lopez-Cornejo’s death or conditions at the Newark jail.

Haitian Detainee Died in December

Lopez-Cornejo’s death follows the death of another 41-year-old detainee at Delaney Hall.

Jean Wilson Brutus, a Haitian national, collapsed at the facility in December.

A medical examiner determined that Brutus died of natural causes resulting from a blockage in his lung.

Menendez Reports Another July Death

Democratic U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez of New Jersey, who has repeatedly visited Delaney Hall, said another individual connected to the facility died in July.

Menendez told reporters Monday that the person suffered a seizure while being processed at Delaney Hall.

He said ICE granted the person a “discretionary release” after they were hospitalized and lost consciousness.

The individual died shortly afterward, according to Menendez.

The congressman did not identify the person, and ICE did not immediately answer questions about the case.

ICE Changes Death-Reporting Policy

Menendez said ICE did not publicly report the July death because of a policy change introduced earlier this year.

Under the new policy, ICE no longer reports deaths that occur within 30 days after a person’s release from the agency’s custody.

ICE previously described the change as “common sense,” arguing that the agency is not responsible for events occurring after people leave its custody.

Health experts and immigrant advocates have warned that the change could reduce ICE’s reported custody-death figures while obscuring the agency’s possible role in some cases.

Death of Mexican National Not Publicly Recognized

ICE has also not publicly acknowledged the July 24 death of Priciliano Trejo, a 29-year-old Mexican national.

Trejo died nine days after ICE released him from custody while he was hospitalized in a coma, according to a coalition of Georgia advocacy groups.

Advocates said Trejo had been diagnosed with leukemia.

ICE arrested him in North Carolina before transferring him to the Stewart Detention Center in Georgia.

At least two other people detained by ICE have died at Stewart during the past 14 months.

The agency did not respond to questions about Trejo’s death.

ICE Custody Death Toll Reaches at Least 56

At least 56 people have died in ICE custody during Trump’s second term.

Lopez-Cornejo is the second person from El Salvador to die in ICE custody during that period.

Norlan Guzman-Fuentes died in September after being killed in a sniper attack on an ICE field office in Dallas.

New Jersey Says Inspection Efforts Obstructed

Democratic New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said state officials were working to establish the circumstances surrounding Lopez-Cornejo’s death.

She also said the state had encountered resistance while trying to conduct a comprehensive health inspection of Delaney Hall.

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