Full Breakdown
New Jersey Launches Civil Rights Probe of GEO-Group’s Delaney Hall Detention Facility
8/12/2026, 4:22:30 AM
Investigation Initiated
The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, led by Jennifer Davenport, issued subpoenas and filed a lawsuit seeking full health-inspection access to Delaney Hall, a private immigration detention center owned by the GEO Group in Newark. The civil-rights inquiry will examine whether the facility’s practices violated the New Jersey Civil Rights Act and the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination.
Recent Deaths and Reported Conditions
The probe follows the deaths of two detainees at Delaney Hall. Edwin Jovanny Lopez Cornejo, 41, died after six weeks in custody; his mother says he suffered from diabetes and hypertension and was not given regular medication. Jean Wilson Brutus, also 41, was pronounced dead in December after being held in the same facility. Detainees have described overcrowded cells—one sharing a space with up to 12 people—and unsanitary conditions, including drinking water from bathroom sinks. A review of public records by *The New York Times* found food-preparation surfaces left unsanitized, workers handling open garbage while cooking, and improper food-temperature controls. An analysis of federal news releases cited by *The Times* notes that at least 53 people have died in immigration detention centers since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term.
Official Statements & Responses
Attorney General Davenport asserted that New Jersey has a “legal and moral duty” to protect detainees’ rights to humane treatment and medical care. Director Yolanda N. Melville of the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights pledged a “thorough, impartial” investigation guided by state law. Governor Mikie Sherrill criticized the GEO Group and ICE for “stonewalling” health inspections and called for the facility’s closure. The GEO Group referred the matter to ICE for comment.
Data and Oversight Gaps
- At least 53 detainee deaths in U.S. immigration facilities since 2021 (attributed to *The New York Times*).
- Reported lack of regular medication for chronic conditions.
- Unsanitary food-handling practices and inadequate temperature controls (attributed to *The New York Times* inspection report).
- Overcrowding with up to 12 occupants per cell (reported by detainees and the New Jersey Monitor).
Verbatim Quotes
- “New Jersey has a legal and a moral duty to stand up for the civil rights of people in our State,” — General Jennifer Davenport, new jersey attorney
- “Our investigation will be thorough, impartial, and guided by the requirements and protections established by New Jersey law,” — Yolanda N. Melville, director of the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights
- “We’ve heard the reports of disturbing conditions and have been heartbroken by recent deaths of detainees at the facility. ICE and The GEO Group have continued to block our efforts for a full health inspection and there are now reports that visitations have been stopped,” — Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill
