The family of Edwin Lopez-Cornejo, a Salvadoran national who died while detained at the Delaney Hall facility in Newark, New Jersey, is seeking answers regarding his death in federal custody on Saturday. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) stated that Lopez-Cornejo died following a "medical emergency" and received appropriate medical care.
However, family members disputed this during a press briefing, asserting that Lopez-Cornejo, 39, was not immediately transported to a hospital the day before his death, despite reporting numbness in his face and arm. "If he told the doctor he couldn't feel half of his face and his arm, why wouldn't the doctor order him to go to the hospital?" his mother, Maria Cornejo, asked.
Lopez-Cornejo suffered from high blood pressure and diabetes, according to his family. They were informed that by the time he arrived at a hospital on Saturday, his heart had stopped beating. "We were both dead, but the only difference is that his heart stopped beating and I'm going to grow up without a father," said Lopez-Cornejo's 12-year-old daughter, who chose not to reveal her name.
The family is calling for accountability, the release of medical records from ICE and GEO Group (the private company contracted to operate Delaney Hall), the closure of the detention center, and the release of all detainees.
ICE stated that facility and medical staff responded immediately to Lopez-Cornejo's medical emergency, called 911, and he was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. The agency reiterated its commitment to ensuring safe, secure, and humane environments for those in its custody. The official cause of death is pending.
