Edwin Jovanny Lopez Cornejo, a 41-year-old Salvadoran national, died in federal custody after a medical emergency at Delaney Hall Detention Facility in Newark, New Jersey, US. He was pronounced dead on Saturday after being transported to University Hospital, according to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Lopez-Cornejo had been apprehended by ICE on June 18 in Plainfield, New Jersey, and was held at Delaney Hall pending deportation or removal from the US. The official cause of death remains pending further examination.
ICE maintained that Lopez-Cornejo received proper medical care and that staff responded immediately during his medical crisis. The agency stated that it is committed to ensuring safe, secure, and humane environments for all those in custody.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka called for the immediate closure of Delaney Hall, describing the death as a "heartbreaking reminder" of a lack of oversight. He said, "We cannot allow these disturbing failures to continue unchecked," and stated that every person, regardless of immigration status, deserves to be treated with dignity, humanity, respect, and care.
This death marks the second fatality at Delaney Hall since its recent opening or reopening, with sources differing on whether it opened a year and a half ago or reopened last year. In May, detainees launched a hunger strike to protest inhumane living conditions at the facility.
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said she was "deeply disturbed" by the death. Democratic Rep. Rob Menendez stated that Lopez-Cornejo complained of difficulties, collapsed at the facility, and received CPR. Menendez added, "We asked certain medical questions, which ICE couldn't give us answers to." According to Menendez, Lopez-Cornejo had been in the US for 20 years.
ICE stated that Lopez-Cornejo illegally entered the US on August 13, 2006, and was removed to El Salvador in October 2006. In December 2025, a 41-year-old man from Haiti named Jean Wilson Brutus died from suspected natural causes a day after entering ICE custody at Delaney Hall. At least 54 people have died in ICE custody since the start of the second Trump administration, according to an ABC News tally.
Updates
Edwin Lopez-Cornejo's death marks the second fatality at Delaney Hall since it opened eighteen months ago, following the death of Jean Wilson Brutus on December 12, 2025. ICE officials stated that staff responded immediately to the medical crisis by calling emergency services and noted that Lopez-Cornejo was seen by medical professionals while in custody. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka accused the facility's operator, GEO Group, and ICE of a persistent 'disregard for transparency' and public safety laws. Amidst these developments, detainees at the facility have vowed to engage in indefinite hunger and work strikes until conditions improve or they are released.
Edwin Lopez-Cornejo's death marks the second fatality at Delaney Hall since its opening 18 months ago, following the death of Jean Wilson Brutus on December 12, 2025. ICE reports that Lopez-Cornejo was being held pending removal due to a reinstated prior deportation order, and officials claim staff responded immediately to his medical crisis. Meanwhile, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka accused the facility operator, GEO Group, and ICE of a 'disregard for transparency,' as detainees have vowed to engage in indefinite hunger strikes to protest conditions.
Edwin Lopez-Cornejo's death marks the second fatality at Delaney Hall since it opened eighteen months ago, following the death of Jean Wilson Brutus on December 12, 2025. ICE reported that Lopez-Cornejo was being held pending removal due to a reinstated prior deportation order, and officials stated that staff called emergency services immediately during his medical crisis. Amidst the scrutiny, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka accused the facility's operator, GEO Group, and ICE of a persistent 'disregard for transparency' and public safety laws.
Edwin Lopez-Cornejo's death is the second fatality at Delaney Hall since its reopening a year and a half ago, following the death of Jean Wilson Brutus on December 12, 2025. ICE reported that Lopez-Cornejo was being held pending a reinstated removal order and that staff responded immediately to his medical crisis, while the Department of Homeland Security clarified he died on August 1. Additionally, Lopez-Cornejo is documented as the 22nd person to die in ICE custody this year.
Edwin Lopez-Cornejo’s death was announced by the Department of Homeland Security as occurring on August 1, marking the second fatality at Delaney Hall since its reopening a year and a half ago, following the death of Jean Wilson Brutus on December 12, 2025. ICE confirmed the deceased was being held pending removal pursuant to a prior deportation order and stated that staff responded immediately to his medical crisis. Additionally, Lopez-Cornejo is reported to be the 22nd person to die in ICE custody this year.
Edwin Lopez-Cornejo's death is the second fatality at Delaney Hall since its reopening a year and a half ago, following the death of Jean Wilson Brutus on December 12, 2025. ICE data indicates that Lopez-Cornejo is the 22nd person to die in ICE custody this year, while the Department of Homeland Security confirmed the death occurred on August 1. Amidst these developments, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka accused the facility's operator, GEO Group, and ICE of a persistent 'disregard for transparency' and public safety laws.
Edwin Lopez-Cornejo's death marks the second fatality at Delaney Hall since it opened a year and a half ago, following the death of Jean Wilson Brutus on December 12, 2025. ICE stated that Lopez-Cornejo was being held pending removal due to a reinstated prior order and that staff responded immediately to his medical crisis. Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed the death occurred on August 1, making him the 22nd person to die in ICE custody this year.
ICE stated that Lopez-Cornejo was seen by medical professionals during his custody, while the Department of Homeland Security confirmed his death occurred on August 1. This incident marks the second fatality at the Delaney Hall facility since it opened a year and a half ago, following the December 12, 2025, death of Jean Wilson Brutus. Additionally, Lopez-Cornejo is the 22nd person to die in ICE custody this year.
Edwin Lopez-Cornejo'nun ölümüyle ilgili olarak, Department of Homeland Security ölüm tarihini 1 Ağustos olarak açıkladı ve olayın Delaney Hall'daki ikinci ölüm olduğu belirtildi. ICE, Lopez-Cornejo'nun tıbbi kriz sırasında personele bildirildiğini ve tıbbi profesyoneller tarafından görüldüğünü ifade ederken; New Jersey Valisi Mikie Sherrill, tesisin sağlık denetimlerinin engellenmeye devam ettiğini ve idarenin tüm gerçekleri toplamak için Kongre delegasyonuyla çalıştığını bildirdi.
Edwin Lopez-Cornejo's death is the second fatality at Delaney Hall since it opened a year and a half ago, following the December 2025 death of Jean Wilson Brutus. ICE reported that Lopez-Cornejo was held pending removal pursuant to a reinstated order and that staff responded to his medical crisis by calling emergency services. Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed the death occurred on August 1, noting that Lopez-Cornejo is the 22nd person to die in ICE custody this year.
Edwin Lopez-Cornejo's death marks the second fatality at Delaney Hall since its reopening a year and a half ago, following the December 2025 death of Jean Wilson Brutus. ICE reported that Lopez-Cornejo was being held pending removal after a prior deportation order, while New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill highlighted ongoing difficulties in conducting full health inspections at the facility. Additionally, Lopez-Cornejo is the 22nd person to die in ICE custody this year.
Edwin Lopez-Cornejo's death is the second fatality at Delaney Hall since its opening a year and a half ago, following the death of Jean Wilson Brutus in December 2025. ICE reported that the 41-year-old was detained pending removal after a prior deportation order, and while medical professionals saw him during his custody, his death occurred on August 1. Following the incident, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka accused the facility operator, GEO Group, and ICE of a persistent 'disregard for transparency' and public safety laws.
The Department of Homeland Security announced that Lopez-Cornejo died on August 1, making him the 22nd person to die in ICE custody this year. His death marks the second fatality at the Delaney Hall facility since it opened a year and a half ago, following the December 2025 death of Jean Wilson Brutus. Additionally, Lopez-Cornejo's mother reported that he had been working since 2022 and attempted to present a work permit to officers during his arrest.
Edwin Lopez-Cornejo's death is the second fatality at Delaney Hall since its reopening, following the death of Jean Wilson Brutus on December 12, 2025. ICE reported that Lopez-Cornejo was being held pending removal pursuant to a reinstated deportation order and was seen by medical professionals during his custody. Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security announced that the death occurred on August 1.
Edwin Lopez-Cornejo's death is the second fatality at Delaney Hall since it opened a year and a half ago, following the sudden death of Jean Wilson Brutus in December 2025. ICE reported that the 41-year-old was arrested in Plainfield on June 18 and died on August 1 while awaiting removal. Additionally, Lopez-Cornejo is the 22nd person to die in ICE custody this year, and his mother, Maria Cornejo, stated he had been employed since 2022 and attempted to show officers his work permit at the time of his arrest.
Edwin Lopez-Cornejo's death marks the second fatality at the Delaney Hall Detention Facility since it opened a year and a half ago, following the December 12, 2025, death of Jean Wilson Brutus. While ICE stated that staff responded immediately to the medical crisis and that the detainee had been seen by medical professionals, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka accused the facility's operator, GEO Group, and ICE of a persistent 'disregard for transparency' and public safety laws. Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security announced that the death occurred on August 1, making Lopez-Cornejo the 22nd person to die in ICE custody this year.
Edwin Lopez-Cornejo's death is the second fatality at the Delaney Hall Detention Facility since it opened a year and a half ago, following the December 2025 death of Jean Wilson Brutus. ICE reported that Lopez-Cornejo was being held pending removal due to a reinstated order and had been seen by medical professionals, while his mother stated he had attempted to show officers his work permit during his arrest. Additionally, DHS confirmed the death occurred on August 1, marking the 22nd person to die in ICE custody this year according to agency data.
Edwin Lopez-Cornejo's death marks the second fatality at the Delaney Hall Detention Facility since it opened a year and a half ago, following the December 2025 death of Jean Wilson Brutus. ICE officials stated that staff responded immediately to a medical crisis, noting that Lopez-Cornejo had been seen by medical professionals while in custody. Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security announced that the death occurred on August 1, and ICE data identifies Lopez-Cornejo as the 22nd person to die in their custody this year.
US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin attributed Edwin Lopez-Cornejo's death to cardiac arrest, noting that the deceased had been repatriated. Meanwhile, Lopez-Cornejo's family claims he was not immediately transported to a hospital after reporting numbness in his face and arm a day prior to his death, and they are contesting the facility's administration of his diabetes, hypertension, and seizure medications.
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated that Edwin Lopez-Cornejo's death was caused by cardiac arrest. Additionally, ICE officials reported that Lopez-Cornejo died at Newark University Hospital on August 1 following a medical emergency, while his family claims he had been suffering from inadequate medication administration for diabetes, hypertension, and seizures. The death marks the second fatality at the Delaney Hall facility since its opening, following the December 2025 death of Jean Wilson Brutus.
US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated that Edwin Lopez-Cornejo's death was caused by cardiac arrest. Meanwhile, Lopez-Cornejo's family claims he was not immediately transported to a hospital after reporting numbness in his face and arm a day before he died. There are also conflicting reports regarding the death toll in ICE custody this year, with ICE data citing 22 deaths while other sources suggest 23.
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated that Edwin Lopez-Cornejo's death was caused by cardiac arrest. Additionally, while the facility has seen previous fatalities, Lopez-Cornejo's death is the second death at Delaney Hall since the start of President Donald Trump's second term. His family, however, disputes the circumstances, alleging that officials failed to provide timely medical intervention after he reported numbness in his face and arm.
