The revelation of a third death of an immigrant linked to the Delaney Hall detention center in Newark, New Jersey, this week increased pressure on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and revived the debate about medical conditions and transparency in immigration detention centers in the United States.
The Democratic representative for New Jersey, Rob Menéndez, reported that the death occurred at the end of July, before the death of Salvadoran Edwin López Cornejo, but assured that the case was not made publicly known due to a change in ICE policy for reporting the deaths of people in its custody. The information was confirmed during an unannounced supervision visit to Delaney Hall by officials from ICE and the GEO Group, a private company that manages the facilities.
With this case, there are three people who have died related to the detention center since it resumed operations. The other victims were Jean Wilson Brutus, a Haitian immigrant who died in December 2025, and Edwin López Cornejo, who died last weekend after suffering a medical emergency.
They question changes in the reporting of deaths
According to Menéndez's story, the third migrant began to present symptoms consistent with a seizure shortly after entering Delaney Hall. Medical personnel requested an ambulance and the detainee was later transferred to Newark University Hospital.
The congressman explained that the ICE office in Newark authorized a discretionary release while the person was transferred to the hospital. Because he formally left agency custody before he died, the case would not have been included in official death reports.
Menéndez maintained that the change responds to a recent modification in ICE's notification criteria, through which some deaths that occur after a detainee is formally released are no longer publicly reported, a situation that, he stated, limits accountability. So far, ICE has not publicly identified the third deceased person or issued an official explanation about the case, while University Hospital declined to comment, citing patient privacy.
Criticism over medical care grows
The complaint occurs just days after the death of Edwin López Cornejo. According to the congressman, the Salvadoran man said he felt tired and dizzy while eating lunch before collapsing in the medical unit. He received CPR and was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
López Cornejo's family assured that a day earlier he had reported that he felt ill and that he had numbness in one hand and part of his face. Court documents also indicate that he suffered from epilepsy, hypertension and hyperglycemia and required ongoing medical treatment, although the official cause of his death remains under investigation.
The three deaths have intensified criticism of Delaney Hall, which previously saw protests, detainee strikes and lawsuits over alleged medical deficiencies, spoiled food and unsanitary conditions. The New York Immigrant Coalition called the new case “a devastating tragedy that should have been avoided” and stated that it reflects a pattern of problems in the care of detained people.
Meanwhile, civil organizations, legislators and local authorities continue to demand an independent investigation into the operation of the center and greater transparency on the part of ICE regarding deaths that have occurred under its responsibility.
