Immigration News Today: Democratic Lawmakers Call for Closing of Delaney Hall After Immigrant Dies in Custody

Julia Malleck

Dec 22, 2025

Outside the gates of Delaney Hall in Newark, NJ. Photo: Taurat Hossain for Documented.

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Just have a minute? Here are the top stories you need to know about immigration. This summary was featured in Documented’s Early Arrival newsletter. You can subscribe to receive it in your inbox three times per week here.

New York

Democratic lawmakers call for closing of Delaney Hall after immigrant dies in custody:

Jean Wilson Brutus, a 41-year-old from Haiti, died following a “medical emergency” one day after arriving in the detention facility, according to ICE. —Politico, NBC New York

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Queens father and six-year-old son deported to China:

Fei Zheng and his son Yuanxin Zheng were detained and separated during a routine immigration check-in in November, drawing widespread outrage. —New York Times

Around the U.S.

Green card lottery suspended following Brown, MIT shooting:

The suspect in both shootings, Portuguese national Claudio Neves Valente, obtained his visa through the program. —AP, 💬@Sec_Noem

ICE reports four immigrants died in custody last week as deaths hit 20-year high in 2025: 

Four detainees — from Haiti, Nicaragua, Eritrea and Bulgaria — died between Dec. 12 and 15, according to ICE notices. —Reuters

Google, Apple reportedly warn visa-holders against traveling outside U.S.:

The tech giants advised some employees to stay put amid “significant” visa stamping delays. —Business Insider

Pittsburgh ICE office emerges as detention hub:

There has been an eightfold increase in detentions this year, according to a new analysis of records from the Deportation Data Project. —Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Washington D.C.

Trump admin. virtually stops reuniting detained children with their families:  

The Office of Refugee Resettlement appears to have halted releases since early November, according to a new investigation. —KUT News

SCOTUS temporarily rejects Trump admin. bid to limit immigration judges’ speaking engagements: 

It is the first time the court has blocked one of Trump’s emergency appeals since April. —The Hill, SCOTUS Blog

Julia Malleck

Julia Malleck is a journalist based in NYC. She writes Documented's flagship newsletter, Early Arrival, which tracks national and local developments in immigration policy. (And my handle on X/Twitter is @txt_julia)

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