Officials from the New Jersey Department of Health inspected a small portion of the Delaney Hall immigration detention center in Newark on Thursday after being denied full access to the facility, as stated by Governor Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ). The governor did not specify the size of the inspected area but indicated that the findings would be shared later.
Governor Sherrill emphasized the need for transparency and humane conditions for detainees, stating, "We will review and share the Department’s findings from the limited portion it was allowed to inspect." The inspection followed an incident where ICE personnel blocked Sherrill and other New Jersey Democrats from entering the facility, leading to criticism of ICE for denying access.
Sherrill expressed concerns about what ICE might be attempting to conceal, stating, "refusing to provide full access raises serious questions about what ICE is trying to hide from public view." She called for the closure of Delaney Hall and urged ICE to de-escalate tensions surrounding the facility.
Tensions have escalated at Delaney Hall, with anti-ICE protests occurring outside the facility, where detainees are reportedly participating in a hunger and labor strike over alleged inhumane conditions. The Department of Homeland Security has disputed claims of a strike and asserted that conditions are not substandard.
Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) reported receiving calls from constituents regarding the use of pepper spray and physical force against detainees. He stated that ICE and the GEO Group, which operates Delaney Hall, have a responsibility to ensure the safety of detainees and criticized their obstruction of health inspections and Congressional oversight.
Earlier in the week, Kim was pepper-sprayed by ICE during a protest, and he vowed to continue advocating for change despite the incident. Other federal lawmakers visiting Delaney Hall included Representatives Bonnie Watson Coleman, Rob Menendez, Analilia Mejia, and LaMonica McIver, the latter facing charges related to a physical altercation with federal officers outside the facility last May.
As protests continue, Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin threatened to redirect Customs and Border Protection agents from Newark Liberty International Airport to assist ICE in managing the crowd of protesters.