Updated
Updated · WABC-TV · Aug 5
Family Alleges Delaney Hall Denied Medication Before 39-Year-Old Detainee Died
Updated
Updated · WABC-TV · Aug 5

Family Alleges Delaney Hall Denied Medication Before 39-Year-Old Detainee Died

3 articles · Updated · WABC-TV · Aug 5

Summary

  • Edwin Lopez-Cornejo’s relatives say the Salvadoran detainee repeatedly reported numbness and was denied medication for diabetes, high blood pressure and seizures before he died Saturday after a medical emergency at Delaney Hall.
  • The family says hospital staff told them his heart had already stopped by the time he arrived, disputing DHS’s account that facility staff responded immediately and provided comprehensive care.
  • His death has triggered demands for medical records from GEO Group and ICE, accountability for staff, and closure of the 1,000-bed Newark detention center.
  • Delaney Hall is now facing scrutiny over its second detainee death in less than a year, after Jean Wilson Brutus died in December 2025 amid broader complaints about withheld medication, poor conditions and a hunger strike.

Insights

What critical medical failures led to a Salvadoran detainee's sudden death inside a heavily scrutinized Newark ICE facility?
Could the tragic loss of Edwin Cornejo finally trigger the closure of New Jersey's most controversial immigration detention center?