Washington, 04 August (H.S.): People staged a protest outside the gates of the Delaney Hall Immigration Detention Center in Newark, New Jersey, on Monday night following the death of 41-year-old Edwin Lopez Cornejo in custody. Demonstrators raised slogans demanding the immediate closure of the facility, where Cornejo died on Saturday while being held under the custody of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that Edwin Lopez Cornejo died after suffering a sudden medical emergency.

According to a report by CBS News, the DHS said in a statement that Cornejo’s health deteriorated unexpectedly while he was in ICE custody. Medical staff at the facility provided initial treatment and called emergency medical services through 911. The department said the official cause of death would be announced after the completion of an investigation.

The DHS said Lopez had been arrested in 2006 for allegedly entering the United States illegally and was later deported. He reportedly re-entered the country illegally after some time. ICE said he was arrested on July 18 in Plainfield, New Jersey. He was originally from El Salvador.

Edwin Lopez Cornejo’s mother, Maria, said in a statement, “He had a young daughter. He was a good father. I have nothing bad to say about my son. I lost him at the hands of ICE. I do not know how I will recover from this pain. Losing my son has caused me immense suffering. These people target hardworking individuals.”

Earlier this year, people had staged weeks-long protests over alleged inhumane conditions inside the Delaney Hall facility.

New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill said in a statement that she was disturbed by the incident. She alleged that inspections at Delaney Hall were being obstructed and called for the facility to be shut down.

Protesters also demanded the immediate closure of Delaney Hall, a privately operated immigration detention facility that was reopened in May 2025. The centre is operated by The GEO Group.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar