Man who died in ICE custody at N.J.'s Delaney Hall didn't receive needed medication, family alleges

The family of a man who died at the Delaney Hall detention center in Newark, New Jersey, alleges he didn't receive needed medication while in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody.

Immigration advocates and family members gathered Tuesday in Highland Park to demand justice for Edwin Lopez-Cornejo. The 41-year-old died Saturday after suffering a medical emergency while in custody at Delaney Hall. His cause of death is under investigation.

Lopez-Cornejo's mother, Maria Cornejo, claims her son was not given the proper medicine he needed for high blood pressure and diabetes.

On Monday, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said in a statement, in part, "While in custody, Lopez-Cornejo received proper medical care and was seen by medical professionals."

The agency did not respond to questions about whether Lopez-Cornejo was given medication for his conditions.

Lopez-Cornejo is originally from El Salvador. He was deported from the U.S. in 2006 but re-entered the country and was arrested in June of this year in Plainfield.

Lopez-Cornejo's family remembers him as a loving son, brother and father.

"I'm going to grow up without a father," Lopez-Cornejo's 12-year-old daughter said.

She says her father deserved better.

"No one is illegal here. The United States of America should be a free country for everyone. There should be justice for all," she said. "Shame on them."

Lopez-Cornejo's family wants his full medical records to be released by ICE. They are also urging New Jersey's attorney general to open an investigation into his death.