Photo: Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images News / Getty Images
Protesters gathered outside the Delaney Hall immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey, on Monday (August 3) following the death of a detainee over the weekend. The deceased, identified as 41-year-old Edwin Jovanny Lopez Cornejo from El Salvador, died after experiencing a medical emergency. The cause of death is pending an autopsy, but ICE stated that Cornejo was not denied medical treatment.
Cornejo's family, however, claims he was not given proper medical care for his chronic health conditions, including diabetes and high blood pressure. His mother, Maria Cornejo, expressed her grief, stating that her son was a good father and had no vices. Cornejo's death leaves his 12-year-old daughter without a father.
Governor Mikie Sherrill and other New Jersey officials have called for an investigation into the incident and renewed demands to close Delaney Hall. Governor Sherrill criticized the facility for blocking state inspections and emphasized the need for oversight.
This marks the second death at Delaney Hall in less than eight months, following the death of Jean Wilson Brutus, a Haitian man, last December. Concerns over conditions at the facility, including inadequate medical care and poor living conditions, have been longstanding. In response, activists and lawmakers are calling for the closure of the privately operated center.
U.S. Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman described Cornejo's detention as an act of cruelty and suggested charges of homicide if the allegations of denied medication are confirmed. The incident has reignited debates over the use of private detention centers and the need for reform in the immigration system.