Delaney Hall Detention Center Faces Protests and Hunger Strike Under DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin

<p>A private detention center in Newark, New Jersey, has become a focal point in discussions regarding immigration policies under Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. Protests have occurred outside the facility, with some detainees reportedly participating in a hunger strike, citing claims of poor living conditions and inadequate medical care.</p><p>The Delaney Hall Facility, which has a capacity of 1,000 beds, reopened last year and has since been the site of protests, arrests, and incidents of escape. New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill and other Democratic lawmakers have called for the facility's closure.</p><p>On Friday, Sherrill announced the establishment of a protected protest zone outside the facility and stated her intention to ensure a full inspection by the New Jersey Department of Health, which she claimed had been restricted from accessing the facility.</p><p>Mullin has responded to the backlash by asserting that it is unrelated to the facility's conditions, claiming that detainees receive three meals a day, clean water, and clothing. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has denied the existence of a hunger strike, suggesting that the detainees' refusal to eat is due to their desire for specific ethnic foods.</p><p>However, Nedia Morsy, director of Make the Road New Jersey, indicated that the hunger strike involves about 300 detainees seeking release. She criticized Mullin for enabling what she described as manipulative practices by ICE. A senior policy strategist with the ACLU of New Jersey also reported on the harsh conditions within the facility.</p><p>The Delaney Hall Facility was the first to open under the Trump administration's second term and has become central to the immigration debate. The GEO Group, which operates the facility, was awarded a 15-year contract valued at approximately $1 billion by ICE.</p><p>Recent events at the facility have included confrontations involving elected officials, with reports of physical altercations and arrests. This situation reflects broader tensions surrounding immigration facilities across the country.</p>