A third illegal immigrant detained at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Newark, New Jersey, has died shortly after being taken into custody, according to the Department of Homeland Security.Guatemalan national Jose Chajon-Raxon died a day after being taken into custody and brought to the facility in what the DHS described as the result of a medical emergency.“On July 18, 2026, Jose Chajon-Raxon, an illegal alien from Guatemala, was processed at the Delaney Hall Detention Facility following his arrest by ICE. On July 19, a nurse responded to a medical emergency and witnessed Chajon-Raxon experiencing seizure-like activity. EMS was immediately called,” a DHS spokesperson wrote in a statement shared Thursday.
“While waiting for first responders to arrive, Chajon-Raxon was provided proper medical care from the nurse who reassured him he was safe,” the statement continued. “The nurse gave a comprehensive report to first responders and Chajon-Raxon was taken to the hospital and released from ICE custody on July 22. ICE was not notified of his death.”The death in custody is the latest in more than two dozen ICE detainee deaths this year. As of earlier this month, 24 people who had been in ICE custody had died. That figure is on track to surpass the record-high 33 deaths seen in 2025, according to Human Rights Watch.Two other ICE detainees at the Delaney Hall site have died since May. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin has defended the agency’s handling of detainees.The DHS spokesperson stated that discharging Chajon-Raxon from federal custody once he was released to the hospital was ICE policy, adding that “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. ICE is not responsible when an individual passes away weeks after leaving their custody,” the DHS spokesperson stated.However, in this most recent incident, Chajon-Raxon had been in custody for roughly 24 hours before suffering a health-related incident.House Democrats held a congressional forum on Delaney Hall in June, following weeks of protests and riots over alleged inhumane conditions inside. An unspecified number of the hundreds of illegal immigrants detained at Delaney Hall have alleged that the food, medical care, and other conditions inside are subpar, although the DHS has maintained conditions inside go beyond those of federal prison standards.U.S. AIRLINES TALKING WITH ICE AND TSA AMID UPTICK IN ARRESTS OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AT AIRPORTSThe DHS spokesperson said illegal immigrants in the U.S. could avoid detention by self-deporting.“Being in detention is a choice. We encourage all illegal aliens to take control of their departure with the CBP Home App. The United States is offering illegal aliens $2,600 and a free flight to self-deport now,” the spokesperson said. “We encourage every person here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the chance to come back to the U.S. the right legal way to live the American dream. If not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return.”
