A 41-year-old man from El Salvador who illegally re-entered the United States after a prior deportation has died in federal immigration custody, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said Monday.
Edwin Lopez-Cornejo died on Aug. 1 at University Hospital in Newark after experiencing a medical emergency while in custody at the Delaney Hall Detention Facility, ICE said in a statement.
Employees of the GEO Group, the private company that operates the New Jersey detention facility, and on-site medical staff responded to the incident and contacted 911, according to officials.
ICE said the official cause of death has not yet been determined and is awaiting a formal medical examination.
Lopez-Cornejo was initially taken into custody by U.S. Border Patrol on or about Aug. 13, 2006, after entering the country without inspection.
On Aug. 25, 2006, a Department of Justice immigration judge ordered his removal from the United States. He was deported to El Salvador on Oct. 19, 2006.
Authorities said Lopez-Cornejo later returned to the United States illegally on an unknown date. ICE officers arrested him in Plainfield, New Jersey, on June 18.
He had been detained at Delaney Hall while awaiting removal under the reinstatement of his earlier deportation order.
ICE officials said that Lopez-Cornejo received proper medical care during his detention.
The agency notified the Department of Homeland Security oversight offices, the Consulate of El Salvador in Elizabeth, and Lopez-Cornejo’s next of kin, the statement said.
Lopez-Cornejo’s death drew swift condemnation from New Jersey officials, who reiterated demands to shut down Delaney Hall.
“I am deeply disturbed to hear of a detainee death inside Delaney Hall this weekend,” New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said in a statement. “My heart is with the individual’s loved ones, who deserve answers about what happened. My administration is working with our congressional delegation to gather all the facts surrounding this death.”
“This tragedy is another painful reminder of why Delaney Hall should be closed,” Sherrill added.
Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka also issued a statement condemning the incident.
“In less than a year, yet another family is forced to endure the unimaginable loss of a loved one while in custody at Delaney Hall,” Baraka said. “The death of Edwin Jovanny Lopez-Cornejo is a heartbreaking reminder of the consequences of a facility that has operated for far too long without adequate oversight, accountability or transparency.”
Another detainee, Jean Wilson Brutus, 41, died Dec. 12, 2025, after suffering a medical emergency less than 24 hours after entering the facility.
The New Jersey facility has repeatedly been accused by state and local inspectors of obstructing health and safety inspections and has been the site of ongoing protests and detainee hunger strikes over food quality, overcrowding and medical care.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment.
