Hunger Strike Escalates at Delaney Hall
Detainees at the Delaney Hall immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey, reportedly faced violence from guards during an ongoing hunger and labor strike protesting conditions inside the facility.
Advocates and lawmakers say ICE agents used pepper spray and physically assaulted detainees after nearly a week of protests over alleged mistreatment, spoiled food, limited medical care, and lack of legal access.
Lawmakers Demand Investigation
According to immigrant advocacy group Make the Road New Jersey, several detainees were injured during the incident Thursday. Democratic lawmakers, including New Jersey Rep. LaMonica McIver, said families reported detainees were beaten inside the privately operated detention center.
Ambulances responded to the facility, and at least four detainees were reportedly hospitalized.
The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey blamed the unrest on “inhumane conditions” and inadequate access to food and healthcare.
GEO Group and ICE Respond
The facility is operated by private prison contractor GEO Group under a $1 billion federal contract awarded during the Trump administration.
GEO Group spokesperson Christopher Ferreira said staff responded to a fight among detainees and used “limited chemical agents” to restore order. He added that detainees received medical evaluations and suffered no serious injuries.
ICE officials have denied claims of widespread abuse and rejected accusations surrounding the strike.
New Jersey Officials Call for Closure
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said state health inspectors were denied full access to the detention center during an attempted inspection Thursday.
Sherrill and several Democratic lawmakers are now calling for Delaney Hall to be shut down immediately, arguing the facility violates constitutional and humanitarian standards.
Meanwhile, protests outside the detention center continue as demonstrators clash with heavily armed ICE agents and police officers.
For more on Trump’s immigration enforcement, stay tuned to Que Onda Magazine.