José Chajón-Raxón, a Guatemalan national detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, died following a medical emergency while at Delaney Hall, an immigration detention facility in Newark, New Jersey. According to the Department of Homeland Security, a nurse witnessed Chajón-Raxón experiencing seizure-like activity, and medical personnel transported him to a hospital. The death marks the third fatality connected to the facility since its reopening in May 2025.
Chajón-Raxón was arrested by ICE agents and brought to Delaney Hall on July 18. The agency stated he was released from ICE custody on July 22, but provided no additional details about the circumstances of his release, what happened after his hospitalization, or the timing of his death. The DHS emphasized in its statement that ICE bears no responsibility for monitoring or investigating deaths once individuals are no longer in agency custody.
The case has intensified scrutiny of ICE’s death reporting practices. Earlier this year, the agency altered its policy to stop reporting deaths occurring within 30 days after release from custody, reversing a practice established by the previous administration in 2021. U.S. Representative Rob Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, characterized the change as creating a “loophole” that allows the agency to avoid investigating deaths or informing Congress and the public. Chajón-Raxón’s death remained undisclosed until Menendez revealed it following another fatality at the facility.
Delaney Hall has faced sustained scrutiny from advocates and lawmakers. Two other deaths have been connected to the facility: Edwin López-Cornejo from El Salvador died earlier this month during detention, and Jean Wilson Brutus from Haiti died in December. Additionally, the facility has drawn protests over allegations including physical abuse by guards, inadequate food, and poor conditions. In May, approximately 300 detainees organized a hunger and labor strike, followed by a subsequent strike by women detainees demanding facility improvements and the release of vulnerable populations.
The deaths at Delaney Hall occur within a broader pattern of fatalities in immigration detention. More than 50 people have died in ICE custody nationwide since the current administration took office. Human rights organizations have raised repeated concerns about medical care and conditions across detention facilities. ICE maintains that detainees receive appropriate medical care at its facilities.
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