Salvadoran Man Dies in ICE Custody at New Jersey Detention Center

Edwin Lopez Cornejo, a 41 year old man from El Salvador, died on August 1 after experiencing a medical emergency while held at the Delaney Hall detention facility in New Jersey. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed the death on Monday, stating that staff from the private contractor GEO Group and medical personnel transported him to a Newark hospital where he was later pronounced dead. An official cause of death has not yet been determined. Lopez Cornejo was arrested in Plainfield, New Jersey, on June 18 and was held under an order reviving a deportation case from 2006. He is survived by a 12 year old daughter.

Family members and advocates allege that Lopez Cornejo suffered from diabetes, high blood pressure, and seizures, and that he was denied necessary medication while in custody. His mother, Maria Cornejo, reported that her son told her he had lost feeling in his face and hand the day before he died. ICE maintains that all detainees are screened for medical issues upon arrival and have round the clock access to emergency treatment, asserting that Lopez Cornejo was properly cared for.

This is the second death at Delaney Hall in less than a year, following the death of Jean Wilson Brutus in December. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill have both called for the facility to be closed, citing a lack of accountability and oversight. Reports indicate that Delaney Hall has been the site of protests and hunger strikes over allegations of physical abuse, spoiled food, and poor sanitary conditions.

Data regarding the broader context of these deaths varies slightly by report. One source states that 22 people have died in ICE custody this year, while another reports 23 deaths in 2024 and a total of 56 deaths since the start of the current Trump administration.