Family seeks transparency after death of man who was ICE detainee

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement cited “suspected natural causes” as the reason a 41-year-old Haitian immigrant detained at the Delaney Hall detention center died in Newark on Dec. 12.

But the family of the detainee, Jean Wilson Brutus, and its attorney say they have many unanswered questions about how he died and the care he was given.

“The cause and manner of death remain undetermined,” attorney Joseph M. Champagne Jr., who is representing the family, said in a statement he released before a rally and news conference with family, lawmakers and advocates planned for Dec. 23 outside Delaney Hall.

"During the critical hours following his collapse, the family received conflicting information regarding whether he was alive or deceased," Champagne said. "They later learned of a documented fall down a flight of stairs that was not initially disclosed to them.”

“We have more questions than answers. All we know is that Jean Wilson Brutus came into ICE custody on Dec. 11 alive and well. As ICE indicated [during intake], he had no medical issues. Then, on Dec. 12, he turned up dead. We don’t have any clear information as to the cause of death.”

The GEO Group, the private prison company that operates Delaney Hall, referred comment on the matter to ICE. ICE did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Brutus' death certificate states that the immediate cause of death is “pending investigation.” A letter to the family from an official in ICE’s Newark office states that the cause is “under medical evaluation.”

For Brutus’ family, the lack of information or answers about how he died has added to the pain of his loss.

“We as a family are seeking justice and transparency of what went down, what transpired for him to enter their custody in perfect health and end up dead,” said Brutus’ cousin, Evans Belony.

Brutus lived with his cousin in his home in Irvington after he entered the United States on June 20, 2023. He was granted parole, a status that allows a non-citizen temporary entry for humanitarian reasons. ICE reported that Brutus was detained after he was released from Union County Jail in Elizabeth following an arrest for criminal mischief involving property damage.

ICE said in its statement announcing his death that Brutus had entered the country “illegally." But in 2023, Haitians were permitted to seek parole at the border under a sponsor-based program for specific nationalities. He also had an asylum application and a pending court date, Belony said.

“He was a brother to me — someone that I loved dearly,” Belony said. “He liked to crack jokes here and there and reminisce about past memories of Haiti and what he went through in Haiti.”

Belony said his cousin was handy with home repairs, loved soccer and was generous — giving to homeless outside the Tabernacle of God Church where he went to pray. He was also the father of an 11-year-old boy still in Haiti, he said.

Belony’s mother, Brutus’ first cousin, took the news of his death especially hard. “When she told the news to the church people, she was bawling her eyes out crying,” he said. “It was very traumatic.”

Belony said his cousin was in good health. ICE also reported that he “had no signs of distress during intake nor a medical history of cardiovascular issues.”

He was unclear, he said, about the events that led to his cousin’s death and what constituted the reported “medical emergency.” Brutus died shortly after being brought to University Hospital in Newark by ambulance. A nurse there, he said, informed Belony that he had been injured in a fall down a flight of stairs. The Record and northjersey.com was not able to verify the claim.

Advocates, lawyers and the family have called for an independent investigation.

“We don’t want to speculate on what happened,” Beloney said. “We just need answers.”

Brutus was one of four immigrants who died in ICE custody between Dec. 12 and Dec. 18, according to the agency. Delaney Hall, a 1,000-bed facility that opened in May, has faced regular protests over what advocates have alleged is subpar food, medical care and other conditions — allegations that the GEO Group has denied. Critics have called for Delaney Hall to be closed, opposing its role in a growing system of immigration detention.

On Dec. 23, a group of immigrant advocates, community leaders, family members of detainees and Lutheran pastors held a prayer vigil outside its walls. A rally and press conference with family, lawmakers and advocates was also planned for that day outside Delaney Hall.

The family, Champagne said, was “not seeking speculation or political debate.”

“They are seeking transparency, accountability, and the truth. That includes preservation of all evidence, a full and independent investigation into the cause and manner of death, and cooperation from all agencies and entities involved.”

“Jean Wilson Brutus was a human being. His life mattered. What happened to him deserves to be fully, honestly and independently examined.”