Edwin Lopez Cornejo died Aug. 1. Family blamed his death on him not receiving medications needed to treat his diabetes. ICE has not responded to requests for comment.
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Another detainee has died at a controversial U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center outside New York City, the man’s family announced Monday, Aug. 3.
Edwin Lopez Cornejo, a New Jersey resident detained on June 18 by immigration enforcement officers, died on Aug. 1 at Delaney Hall in Newark, his mother Maria Cornejo said in an emotional video posted to Facebook. Cornejo attributed the death of her son to him not receiving diabetes medications he required while in custody.
Cornejo said her son lived in the United States for nearly 20 years. She described him as hardworking and a good father to her granddaughter.
“An excellent son,” she said, “and I lost him to the hands of immigration authorities.”
USA TODAY has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and GEO Group, the company that runs the detention center. GEO Group deferred questions to ICE. The agency has not responded to requests for comment.