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Third detainee dies at Newark ICE facility; family alleges medical neglect

Jan 27, 2025·Location: Newark, NJ

Country of origin: Haiti

Third detainee dies at Newark ICE facility; family alleges medical neglect
Photo via thecityreporter.nyc

Edwin Jovanny Lopez-Cornejo, a 39-year-old father of a 12-year-old girl, died Aug. 1 at Delaney Hall ICE detention facility after collapsing; his family says facility staff failed to give him medication for diabetes, high blood pressure and seizures. ICE identified him as a 41-year-old citizen of El Salvador, a discrepancy his family disputes. Rep. Rob Menendez (D-NJ) said he learned of a third death at the facility, Jean Wilson Brutus in December, during an oversight visit, and that ICE excluded it from mandatory reporting to Congress because the person had been released before dying. ICE has reported 55 deaths in detention nationally since January 2025, though lawmakers and advocates say shifting reporting policies may understate the true toll.

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