DHS explains lack of public notice after Guatemalan detainee's death at New Jersey jail

A Guatemalan man, Jose Chajon-Raxon, experienced a seizure on July 19, shortly after being admitted to Delaney Hall, a privately operated immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey. He was taken to a hospital and, according to DHS, was released from ICE custody on July 22, with the department saying it never learned of his subsequent death. DHS attributes the lack of public disclosure to a policy adopted earlier this year that ends reporting of deaths occurring within 30 days of a detainee’s release, overturning a 2021 Biden-era requirement.

Representative Rob Menendez argued the rule creates a loophole allowing ICE to evade scrutiny and responsibility for such deaths. The incident was first reported after Menendez disclosed it following another detainee’s death in early August. Delaney Hall has been the focus of protests and a hunger strike over conditions, and it is operated by the private prison contractor Geo Group, which has not responded to comment requests.