Petition Filed Days Before ICE Detainee’s Death Cited Medical Conditions
Tyunews.com – A petition filed days before ICE detainee Edwin Lopez-Cornejo’s death highlighted serious medical concerns as his attorney sought to prevent his transfer and potentially secure his release from a New Jersey facility. The Salvadoran national, 39, was being held at the Delaney Hall detention center in Newark when he died on Saturday following what ICE described as a “medical emergency.” His attorney, Ingrid Echeverria, submitted court documents emphasizing that Lopez-Cornejo required a strict medication regimen for epilepsy, high blood pressure, and other health conditions.
Medical Concerns Raised in Habeas Petition
The habeas petition, filed on July 24, requested that the Department of Homeland Security provide detailed information regarding Lopez-Cornejo’s detention while also preventing any transfer to another facility. “If not, he at least asks that Respondents be required to give advance written notice before any transfer, identify the receiving facility, and ensure that his medications accompany him and are administered without interruption,” the petition stated. The filing did not indicate that Lopez-Cornejo had been denied his medications during his detention.
Family members have since raised concerns about potential medical neglect at the facility. According to reports, Lopez-Cornejo complained of numbness on his face and arm the day before his death. ICE responded by stating that staff at Delaney Hall “responded immediately” and called 911 during the medical emergency. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead, though the official cause of death remains pending further medical examination.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told NewsNation on Tuesday that Lopez-Cornejo died of cardiac arrest. Echeverria expressed several questions to ABC News regarding the timing and response to his medical condition. “What we want to know is what happened? When did he start feeling ill?” she said. “Should they have called the ambulance sooner?”
Lopez-Cornejo was taken into custody on June 18 in Plainfield, New Jersey, and had been detained at Delaney Hall “pending removal from the United States pursuant to a reinstatement of his prior removal order,” according to ICE. He illegally entered the United States in August 2006 and was deported back to El Salvador a couple of months later. The habeas petition indicates he re-entered the country in 2007 and subsequently applied for asylum.
Exhibits filed with his petition reveal that Lopez-Cornejo held a work permit that expired in 2025 and had a pending renewal request as of June 2025. Several friends and employers submitted letters to the judge supporting his release, with one former employer describing him as a dedicated worker. “It was his good nature, altogether, that defined him as not just a good employee, but a good person, he was always kind, smiling, well mannered, and always in a good mood,” the former employer wrote in a letter of support submitted exactly one month before Lopez-Cornejo’s death.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: When was the petition filed relative to Edwin Lopez-Cornejo’s death? A: The habeas petition was filed on July 24, which was days before Lopez-Cornejo died on Saturday following a medical emergency at the Delaney Hall facility in Newark, New Jersey.
Q: What medical conditions was Lopez-Cornejo being treated for? A: According to the petition, he was taking medications for epilepsy, high blood pressure, and other conditions that required a strict regimen.
Q: What is the official cause of death? A: Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated that Lopez-Cornejo died of cardiac arrest, though the official cause remains pending further medical examination.
Q: Why was Lopez-Cornejo being detained? A: He was being held pending removal from the United States pursuant to a reinstatement of his prior removal order. He illegally entered in 2006, was deported, re-entered in 2007, and later applied for asylum.
