(NEWARK, NEW JERSEY) New Jersey lawmakers and immigrant advocates are calling for Delaney Hall to be shut down after a 41-year-old Haitian man, Jean Wilson Brutus, died there on December 12, 2025, one day after he was taken into custody. Brutus was detained at the ICE-run facility in Newark, New Jersey, on December 11, and ICE later said he had shown “no signs of distress” when he was booked. The agency said he suffered a medical emergency, was taken to University Hospital, and was pronounced dead. ICE attributed the death to “natural causes” but did not release medical details or records.
Background on Delaney Hall and the contract
Brutus’s death has renewed scrutiny of the privately operated jail, which was reopened earlier in 2025 by the GEO Group under a 15-year, billion-dollar contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Community groups had protested the reopening and pointed to past reports of inadequate health care and unsafe conditions. ICE has not said why Brutus was detained or whether he had legal counsel when he arrived. His case is now part of a growing tally of deaths in federal detention during President Trump’s second-term push for higher arrests and removals.
Local officials said they want an independent inquiry before detainees are sent to Delaney Hall.
Concerns about ICE’s public notice and transparency
ICE’s public notice about Brutus also drew sharp criticism because it appeared late. Agency policy says ICE should inform the public “in a timely, accurate, and appropriate manner” by posting a notice on its website within two business days of a death in custody. In Brutus’s case, advocates said the notice went up a full week after he died.
Readers can find ICE’s general detainee death reporting information on the agency’s official page: ICE Detainee Death Reporting.
Critics say those rules matter because families often learn of deaths through rumors while they scramble for phone calls and paperwork.
Calls for records, surveillance, and an independent review
Advocates and community leaders have demanded documentation and outside oversight:
- Amy Torres, executive director of New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, said the problem is systemic and follows repeated community warnings.
- Torres and others have asked state and federal officials to secure:
- surveillance footage,
- medical logs,
- emergency response records,
- an explanation of who decided when to call for an ambulance.
They argue that without outside review, the contractor and ICE control the facts from the start.
Questions about medical care and monitoring
Katy Sastre, executive director of First Friends of New Jersey and New York, said ICE’s statement left families and the public “in the dark.” She noted the agency offered:
- “no real information about what happened or what medical care he received,” despite the death occurring so quickly after booking.
ICE said Brutus had no reported history of cardiovascular issues and showed “no signs of distress,” but advocates say that statement raises further questions about screening and monitoring at intake. GEO has posted job openings for more medical staff. Sastre’s group has documented delays in medical visits at Delaney Hall.
A Scripps News investigation added detail, reporting records that show 12 emergency calls from Delaney Hall for “sick or injured” people in just two months during fall 2025. Detainees told reporters it can take weeks to see a doctor.
Lawyers who represent detainees say delays matter because many people arrive with:
- untreated illnesses,
- trauma,
- withdrawal symptoms,
and that custody can make these conditions worse. GEO and ICE have not released Brutus’s full medical file, citing privacy rules.
In Newark, ambulance crews have responded repeatedly, but advocates say that calling 911 is not the same as on-site medical care.
Calls for systemic change and oversight
Ami Kachalia, campaign strategist at ACLU-NJ, called the death “another devastating example of people dying in ICE custody while being detained in deplorable conditions” and demanded “an end to immigration detention once and for all.” She emphasized:
- Detention is a civil process, not a criminal sentence, yet people are held in locked facilities that can feel like jail.
- Brutus’s death should prompt officials to review every medical protocol at Delaney Hall, from intake checks to response times for chest pain or fainting.
State legislators said they will press for hearings and records tied to GEO.
National context and rising deaths in detention
The debate over Delaney Hall fits within a broader national spike in deaths behind detention walls. Scripps News reported that 2025 is shaping up to be the deadliest year for ICE detainees in decades.
Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) said she received notification of 30 detainees dying in custody since President Trump took office, almost triple the 11 detainees who died during 2020–2024. Jayapal linked the rise to a sharp increase in people held while they wait for immigration court hearings.
Analysis by VisaVerge.com indicates that deaths in custody often trigger questions about medical staffing and oversight.
What advocates and families want
For families, the fight often centers on basic access to information. When someone is detained, relatives may have only a booking number and a phone line that cuts off.
Advocates in Newark want ICE to:
- notify next of kin faster,
- share the timeline of medical care,
- allow an outside doctor to review records after a death,
- explain why the public notice was delayed.
They say delays can feed fears that evidence will disappear. GEO has not answered detailed questions in the case. ICE said it is reviewing the incident internally.
Practical steps for families and detained-person advocates
Lawyers and advocates recommend that anyone with a detained relative should:
- Keep copies of medical histories and records.
- List all medications and dosages.
- Record dates and times of phone calls and any communications with facility staff.
- Request documentation of medical intake and emergency responses when possible.
These details can matter if a person gets sick or dies in custody.
Key timeline (condensed)
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Brutus detained at Delaney Hall | December 11, 2025 |
| Brutus died at University Hospital | December 12, 2025 |
| ICE public notice posted | Advocates say one week after death (late posting vs. policy of 2 business days) |
Closing points and continuing concerns
Even as calls to close Delaney Hall grow, immigration enforcement continues to funnel people into detention while their cases move through the courts. Advocates say deaths like Jean Wilson Brutus’s affect other detainees, increasing stress and fear about seeking medical help.
ICE’s late posting about the death has become a central point for lawmakers who argue Delaney Hall cannot be trusted. They say Brutus’s death must lead to transparent answers and independent review.
Following the death of Jean Wilson Brutus at Newark’s Delaney Hall, New Jersey officials and immigrant rights groups are calling for an independent inquiry and the facility’s immediate closure. The death, occurring within 24 hours of detention, has exposed serious flaws in medical screening and public reporting transparency. National data suggests 2025 is the deadliest year for ICE detainees, leading to increased pressure on the current administration to reform oversight.
