US immigration officials have for the first time officially reported the death of a Guatemalan man who was in custody at an immigration center in New Jersey. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.
The incident occurred on July 19: Jose Chajon-Raxon, a Guatemalan citizen, suffered a seizure a day after being processed into Delaney Hall, a privately run immigration jail in Newark. According to DHS, he was taken to the hospital and released from ICE custody on July 22. However, his death at the hospital was not disclosed.
In a statement, DHS said: "Per ICE policy, when an individual is no longer in ICE custody then ICE will no longer be responsible for monitoring or reviewing deaths that may occur. This is common sense." This is part of a policy change announced earlier this year in which the agency no longer reports deaths that occur within 30 days of someone's release from custody. The move rescinds a 2021 policy implemented by the Biden administration.
US Rep. Rob Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat who has routinely visited Delaney Hall, called the change a "loophole" that allows the agency to release someone from custody and then "claim it has no responsibility to investigate their death or inform Congress and the public." He also said ICE "consistent with the entire ethos of the Trump Administration — is dead set on avoiding public scrutiny and taking any accountability for its failures."
DHS said in the statement that ICE "remains committed to transparency regarding detainee deaths." Chajon-Raxon's death first became publicly known when it was disclosed by Menendez last week following the death of another detainee in early August. He told reporters that ICE granted the person a "discretionary release" from custody after they were taken to a hospital and lost consciousness, and the person died shortly afterward. At the time, he did not identify the person.
In recent months, Delaney Hall has been the site of fierce protests by immigration advocates, with demonstrators at times attempting to block vehicles from entering or leaving the facility. Earlier this year, some people held at the jail launched a hunger strike over the conditions, according to Cosecha, an immigrant advocacy group. The facility is owned by Geo Group, a private prison contractor that operates multiple detention centers across the country. The contractor didn't immediately respond to email from The Associated Press requesting comment.