Immigrant Held at Delaney Detention Center Has Died, Officials Say

A Salvadoran immigrant who was being held at a troubled federal detention center in Newark died during the weekend, federal officials confirmed Monday evening.

The man, identified by immigration officials as Edwin Lopez-Cornejo, was being held at the Delaney Hall detention center in Newark, which has faced scrutiny and protests over the treatment of detainees.

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, which oversees Delaney Hall, said that Mr. Lopez-Cornejo, 41, was pronounced dead on Saturday by medical workers at University Hospital in Newark. After Mr. Lopez-Cornejo experienced a medical emergency at Delaney Hall, employees “responded immediately and called 911 for emergency medical services,” the agency said. The cause of his death was not known.

Mr. Lopez-Cornejo is the second Delaney Hall detainee to have died in the past eight months.

“In less than a year, yet another family is forced to endure the unimaginable loss of a loved one while in custody at Delaney Hall,” Ras Baraka, the mayor of Newark, said in a statement.

In December, Jean Wilson Brutus, 41, died after a medical emergency, federal officials said at the time. Delaney Hall was reopened last year to accommodate President Trump’s expanding immigration crackdown.

Border Patrol officials said that Mr. Lopez-Cornejo had entered the United States illegally in 2006. An immigration judge had ordered him removed at that time, and he was deported to El Salvador two months later, according to federal officials. He entered the country illegally again later and was arrested on June 18 in Plainfield, N.J. He was detained at Delaney Hall pending removal from the United States.

While in custody, Mr. Lopez-Cornejo “received proper medical care and was seen by medical professionals,” ICE said. His family and the Consulate of El Salvador in Elizabeth, N.J., were notified of his death.

“ICE is committed to ensuring that all those in custody reside in safe, secure and humane environments,” the agency said in a statement. “At no time during detention is a detained noncitizen denied emergency care.”

In a video posted on Facebook, immigration advocates spoke with a woman who identified herself as Maria Cornejo, Mr. Lopez-Cornejo’s mother. Ms. Cornejo said that she had last spoken with her son on Friday when he said that he was not feeling well. Ms. Cornejo said that he had been prescribed medication for diabetes, and he had told her on Friday that he had lost feeling in his face and hand. Mr. Lopez-Cornejo is survived by a 12-year-old daughter, his mother said.

“He was a good father,” Ms. Cornejo said in Spanish, her voice trembling. “I don’t want other parents to know what I am living through. I want justice.”

Gov. Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey condemned the man’s death and expressed support for his family while demanding answers from the federal government about what happened.

“My administration is working with our congressional delegation to gather all the facts surrounding this death,” Ms. Sherrill said. “This tragedy is another painful reminder of why Delaney Hall should be closed.”