Key facts
- Jose Chajon-Raxon, an immigrant from Guatemala, died after a medical emergency at an ICE facility in Newark, New Jersey.
- Chajon-Raxon experienced seizure-like activity on July 19, one day after being detained at Delaney Hall.
- He was hospitalized and subsequently released from ICE custody on July 22.
- The Department of Homeland Security stated ICE is not responsible for his death as it occurred after his release.
- Chajon-Raxon is the third detainee to die at Delaney Hall since its reopening, following Edwin Lopez-Cornejo and Jean Wilson Brutus.
A Guatemalan immigrant, Jose Chajon-Raxon, died following a medical emergency after being detained at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Newark, New Jersey. Chajon-Raxon was taken to the Delaney Hall detention facility on July 18 and experienced seizure-like activity the following day. Medical personnel were called, and he was hospitalized before being released from ICE custody on July 22. The Department of Homeland Security stated that ICE was not notified of his death, as it occurred weeks after his release, and therefore ICE is not responsible. Chajon-Raxon is the third immigrant to die at Delaney Hall since its reopening in May 2025 amid the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Edwin Lopez-Cornejo and Jean Wilson Brutus also died after being detained there. Rights groups have repeatedly raised alarms about medical care and conditions inside detention facilities, while ICE maintains that detainees receive appropriate medical care. Representative Rob Menendez has criticized a recent policy change that stops ICE from reporting deaths occurring within 30 days after release from custody, calling it a loophole.