Haitian detainee dies of blood clot one day into ICE custody at Newark facility
Jan 28, 2026·Location: Newark, NJ
Country of origin: Haiti

Jean Wilson Brutus, a 41-year-old Haitian man, died in December 2025 at the Delaney Hall ICE detention facility in Newark, New Jersey, less than a day after being detained. ICE initially said he experienced an unexplained "medical emergency" and attributed his death to "natural causes," but a medical examiner later determined he died from a pulmonary embolism. An ambulance transporting him to University Hospital was delayed by five minutes as officials prioritized allowing a van of new detainees into the facility. His death came amid widespread complaints from detainees at Delaney Hall about contaminated water, spoiled food, and inadequate medical care, and was one of at least two deaths at the facility and one of 23 deaths in ICE custody during the year.
Timeline
Sources
- What rights do ice detainees have? Civil rights probe could test limits
Newsweek·Aug 8, 2026·archived copy
- This nurse was assaulted by ICE – and it was caught on video. Now she wants her day in court
The Guardian·Oct 5, 2026
- Irvington Relatives of Haitian Asylum-seeker Jean Wilson Brutus, Who Died Last Month in a Local ICE Detention Center, Retain Civil Rights Counsel to Investigate His Mysterious Death
globenewswire.com·Jan 27, 2026·archived copy
- njherald.com
- journalstandard.com
- Apply to Join
- NJ Immigrant Detainee Dies In ICE Custody, Sparking Outcry From Advocates
patch.com·Dec 19, 2025·archived copy
- ice.gov
Dec 18, 2025·archived copy
- NJ.com
- ICE detainee dies day after arriving at Newark’s troubled Delaney Hall
theoaklandpress.com·Dec 21, 2025·archived copy
- CourtListener
- (HC) Brutus v. Warden, California City Detention Facility, 1:26-cv-07286
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