NJ Attorney General Launches Investigation Into Delaney Hall

On August 7, State Attorney General Jennifer Davenport announced that her office has issued subpoenas to investigate whether any employees at Delaney Hall, operated by the GEO Group, violated detainees’ civil rights.

“New Jersey has a legal and a moral duty to stand up for the civil rights of people in our State,” Davenport said in a statement. “For detained individuals, including those held by a private corporation like GEO Group, those rights include the right to humane treatment and adequate medical care. We will take every action available under law to safeguard these core legal principles.”

Following Davenport’s announcement, Gov. Mikie Sherrill released a statement saying that the investigation is the “right and necessary course of action.” Sherrill added that there have been reports of “disturbing” conditions at Delaney Hall, and that her administration will “continue to do everything in [its] power to hold ICE and The GEO Group accountable to New Jersey laws.”

Davenport’s civil rights investigation comes after Edwin Jovanny Lopez Cornejo, a man from Plainfield, died on August 1 while detained at Delaney Hall.

ICE released a statement saying that Cornejo died at University Hospital Newark after experiencing a “medical emergency.” They also stated that “GEO facility staff and medical staff responded immediately and called 911 for emergency medical services.”

Cornejo is the second detainee known to have died at the facility since its reopening. The first detainee, Jean Brutus Wilson, also died from a medical emergency in Dec. 2025.

Cornejo’s mother, Maria, told New Jersey Monitor that he reported feeling numb in his face and hands days before his death. She alleged that he was not given medicine for his diabetes and high blood pressure while he was detained, which may have contributed to the eventual medical issues. ICE stated, however, that Cornejo received “proper medical care and was seen by medical professionals” while in custody.

Cornejo’s death has raised much wider safety concerns over ICE detention centers. The agency has reported that a total of 22 detainees died while in its custody between January 1 and July 13, 2026.

Cornejo’s death prompted renewed demands from local and federal leaders for increased oversight at detention facilities like Delaney Hall. 

NJ Senator Cory Booker, for example, told The Gothamist that Democrats would hold public oversight hearings to examine ICE leadership and private contractors like GEO Group if they regain control of the Senate in the midterm elections. Describing Delaney Hall as a “death trap,” Booker accused the Department of Homeland Security of “operating without accountability.”

Gov. Sherrill stated that ICE and The GEO Group have continued to “block efforts for a full health inspection” of Delaney Hall, and that there have been reports that “visitations have been stopped.” Sherrill said she refused to tolerate a facility that “abdicates any transparency and accountability,” reasserting her belief that Delaney Hall should be shut down.

Similarly, on August 11, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called for the closure of the detention center, saying that its employees are engaging in “un-American” behavior. He has also accused the facility of providing inadequate medical treatment to detainees, including pregnant women.

Local immigrant rights groups also denounced Delaney Hall. Jeanne LoCicero, legal director of ACLU-NJ, released a statement expressing support for Davenport’s investigation:

“Delaney Hall is a tragic example of the Trump administration’s cruel mass detention and deportation agenda, and unfortunately, it isn’t an outlier. The administration routinely disregards legal safeguards and violates the rights of people in detention, inflicting immeasurable harm on communities,” said LoCicero.

As investigations into Delaney Hall’s practices move forward, local leaders, advocates, and residents demand more effort and accountability, calling for stronger oversight of the facility and protections for health, safety, and the right to due process for immigrant communities.

“Courts have long recognized that detained individuals, including people in immigration detention, have a constitutional right to adequate medical care,” Davenport added. “The reasoning is simple: when someone is confined, they’re dependent on whoever is confining them to treat their medical needs. And we do not believe that constitutional right goes away simply because a private corporation is doing the detaining. No one is above the law.”