The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) responded to claims made by Governor Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) regarding the restoration of family visitation at the Delaney Hall immigration detention facility in New Jersey. Sherrill had described the resumption of visits as a victory following protests and a hunger strike by detainees, asserting that state officials had pressured federal authorities to allow family and attorney access after visitation was suspended.
DHS officials disputed this characterization, stating, "We did not cave to the Governor’s demands. Visitation was suspended because the violent riots outside the facility made it unsafe for our officers, detainees' families, and lawyers to visit the facility." They indicated that operations at Delaney Hall are continuing normally and that visitation can resume now that a secure perimeter has been established.
On Sunday, members of the New Jersey congressional delegation, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), conducted an oversight inspection of the facility. Jeffries reported speaking with detainees who have no criminal records but have been held for extended periods. He criticized the conditions at Delaney Hall, stating, "This is not America," and called for the facility to be shut down due to inadequate conditions, including poor access to food and medical treatment.
Tensions surrounding the conditions at Delaney Hall have escalated recently, with protests intensifying after detainees alleged poor living conditions and initiated a hunger strike. Demonstrators have gathered outside the facility, leading to confrontations with federal officers and multiple arrests. Federal officers have accused protesters of assaulting officers and blocking access to the facility, claims that some advocates and Democratic officials dispute. Governor Sherrill has been a prominent critic of the facility, previously alleging that state health inspectors were denied full access during an inspection attempt and advocating for greater transparency regarding conditions at Delaney Hall. The state has recently deployed New Jersey State Police to ensure public safety around the detention center and to establish designated protest areas following clashes between demonstrators and federal agents.
