Salvadoran father dies in ICE custody at New Jersey facility after medical emergency
Aug 4, 2026·Location: Plainfield, NJ
Country of origin: El Salvador

Edwin Jovanny López Cornejo, a Salvadoran national who had lived in the U.S. for nearly 20 years, died August 1, 2026, at University Hospital in Newark following a medical emergency at the Delaney Hall ICE detention facility. He suffered from epilepsy, diabetes, and high blood pressure requiring daily medication, and leaves behind a 12-year-old U.S. citizen daughter, Ashley. ICE arrested him June 18, 2026, in Plainfield, New Jersey, reviving a 2006 deportation order, though his family said he held a valid work permit. His mother, Maria Cornejo, said he called her feeling very ill with numbness in his face and hand after seeing a facility medical provider, and described him as hardworking and a good father, saying, "I lost him to the hands of immigration authorities." His family alleged he did not consistently receive his medication and called for an independent investigation, while ICE said facility and medical staff called 911 and that he received appropriate care, with the cause of death pending further examination. His death was the second at Delaney Hall since it opened in May 2025, following months of detainee complaints and lawsuits alleging denial of medication, and prompted Governor Mikie Sherrill and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka to call for the facility's closure.
Timeline
Sources
- ICE detainee who illegally re-entered US after deportation dies at Delaney Hall
- Another detainee dies at controversial NYC-area ICE facility
- Salvadoran man complained of access to medication before death at NJ immigration jail, family says
Associated Press·Aug 4, 2026·archived copy
- Immigrant held at New Jersey ICE facility dies, officials say
CNN·Aug 4, 2026·archived copy
- Salvadoran man dies in ICE custody at New Jersey detention centre
- Man from El Salvador dies in detention facility in New Jersey, ICE says
NBC News·Aug 4, 2026·archived copy
- CBS News
- Family of New Jersey man who died in ICE custody accuses agency of ‘medical neglect’
NBC News·Aug 4, 2026·archived copy
- Immigrant being held at Delaney Hall dies, marking 22nd death in ICE custody
The Guardian·Aug 4, 2026·archived copy
- PBS
- What rights do ice detainees have? Civil rights probe could test limits
Newsweek·Aug 8, 2026·archived copy
- Man dies after one day in ICE custody: list of deaths this year
Newsweek·Sep 2, 2026
- Another NJ Immigrant Detainee Has Died In ICE Custody: What We Know (UPDATED)
patch.com·Aug 3, 2026·archived copy
- Who Was Edwin Lopez-Cornejo? ICE Detainee Dies at New Jersey Hospital After Medical Emergency
timesnownews.com·Aug 4, 2026·archived copy
- ACLU-NJ Responds to the Death of Edwin Jovanny Lopez Cornejo at Delaney Hall — Spot On New Jersey
- Democrats promise stricter oversight of immigration detention company if they win majority
Gothamist·Aug 10, 2026·archived copy
- 'It's Like Hell': 60 Lawsuits Detail Alleged Medical Neglect at ICE Detention Center
thecityreporter.nyc·Jun 17, 2026·archived copy
- Edwin López Cornejo, the latest migrant to die in ICE custody: ‘I’m going to grow up without a father’
english.elpais.com·Aug 5, 2026·archived copy
- Documented
- FFI Mourns Lives Killed at the Hands of ICE, Demands Release of Immigrants Amid Spike in Arrests and Detentions — Freedom for Immigrants
- Imigrante morre após emergência médica em centro do ICE. É o terceiro
noticiasaominuto.com·Aug 13, 2026·archived copy
m.noticiasaominuto.com·Aug 13, 2026·archived copy
- DHS cites recent policy shift after not disclosing death of Guatemalan man who had been in custody
nz.news.yahoo.com·Aug 13, 2026·archived copy
- Salvadoran man dies in ICE custody at New Jersey detention centre | Al Jazeera Mirror
- Detainee passes following medical emergency in New Jersey
ice.gov·Aug 3, 2026
- louisianafirstnews.com
- habeasdockets.org
- ice.gov
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