Edwin Jovanny Lopez-Cornejo, a 41-year-old Salvadoran immigrant, died on Saturday, August 1, 2026, at University Hospital in Newark, New Jersey, following a medical emergency while in custody at the Delaney Hall Detention Facility, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed.

Lopez-Cornejo was arrested by ICE agents on June 18, 2026, in Plainfield, New Jersey, after re-entering the United States illegally following a previous deportation in 2006. He was detained at Delaney Hall pending removal under a reinstated deportation order.

According to ICE, staff from GEO Group—the private contractor managing the facility—and medical personnel responded to the emergency and arranged for Lopez-Cornejo's transport to the hospital. The official cause of death is pending a formal medical examination.

Lopez-Cornejo's mother, Maria Cornejo, told the New Jersey Monitor that her son had been managing seizures, diabetes, and blood pressure with medication. She last spoke with him on Friday, July 31, 2026, when he reported numbness on the right side of his face and right hand. She also said he had held a job since 2022 and had tried to show his work permit to arresting officers but was detained regardless. Due to her non-citizen status, she was unable to visit him during his detention.

This death marks the second at Delaney Hall in less than a year. In December 2025, Jean Wilson Brutus, a 41-year-old Haitian detainee, died from suspected natural causes less than 24 hours after entering ICE custody at the same facility.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka called Lopez-Cornejo's death "a heartbreaking reminder of the consequences of a facility that has operated for far too long without adequate oversight, accountability or transparency." He urged for the closure of Delaney Hall, emphasizing the pain endured by families connected to the facility.

An immigration advocacy group reported speaking with Lopez-Cornejo's mother and highlighted ongoing concerns about conditions at Delaney Hall, including recent hunger strikes by detainees.

The Department of Homeland Security announced Lopez-Cornejo as the 22nd person to die in ICE custody in 2026.

Sources