Jean Wilson Brutus, 41, died on Dec. 12 at University Hospital in Newark, one day after being detained by ICE officials at Delaney Hall, according to an ICE Death Detainee Notice released Thursday.
His death comes as four people have died in ICE custody within a four-day span.
“The announcement of Jean Wilson Brutus having a medical emergency while detained at Delaney Hall and then passing away at the hospital is distressing, and brings up a host of disturbing questions,” said Newark Mayor Ras Baraka in a statement.
According to ICE, Brutus entered custody on Dec. 11 after being released from Union County Jail in Elizabeth and showed “no signs of distress.” He later experienced a “life-threatening emergency,” prompting EMS to perform “life-saving measures.” He was transported to University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Brutus’s death comes as ICE detention populations reach historic highs. The Migration Policy Institute reported that about 39,000 people were detained in January 2025. That number rose to 61,000 in August and could surpass 100,000 by January 2026—well above ICE’s estimated capacity of 62,000.
No further details were provided on Brutus’s cause of death.