For nearly two weeks, protesters gathered outside the federal detention center in Newark, forming human chains, obstructing vehicle exits, and encountering police in riot gear. Among them was a U.S. senator who found themselves in a tense situation involving pepper spray as police clashed with the crowd, which included local officials like Governor Mikie Sherrill.
Homeland Security Secretary Mark Wayne Mullin labeled the protests as “political stunts aimed at fundraising.”
In response to the ongoing turmoil, the state has decided to pursue legal action.
New Jersey’s Democratic Attorney General Jennifer Davenport revealed she has filed a lawsuit against GEO Group Inc., the firm responsible for operating Delaney Hall under a substantial federal contract. The lawsuit demands that GEO Group provide state health inspectors complete access to the facility.
Following the filing, inspectors were reportedly only permitted to examine the food service area, while medical units, sleeping quarters, and restrooms remained sealed off.
Wider concerns have arisen regarding conditions inside the facility, with reports of bug-infested food and insufficient medical care from detainees through their lawyers, family, and advocates. Some medical professionals have also raised alarms about confirmed tuberculosis cases among the detainees.
In a separate move, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka announced the city is filing its own lawsuit to shut down the detention center, highlighting unverified accounts of inmates facing inadequate medical care leading to miscarriages.
The Department of Homeland Security dismissed these lawsuits, calling them “frivolous” and insisting that Delaney Hall adheres to all necessary laws.
Just last week, the New Jersey Department of Health conducted an inspection that reportedly lasted just over an hour, focusing entirely on the kitchen.
Additionally, the DHS refuted claims of hunger strikes at Delaney Hall, asserting that evidence does not support such allegations.
Meanwhile, Republican Representative Jeff Van Drew visited the facility and contended that conditions were not as dire as portrayed, noting amenities like a gym and soccer field.
The New Jersey chapter of Movimiento Cosecha has actively participated in the demonstrations, along with other groups advocating for the abolition of immigration detention facilities. Protesters were noted to have carried signs against ICE and displayed various flags as they physically blocked federal vehicles.
Security expert Laura Reese suggested the protests appeared organized, supported, and trained, echoing statements from New Jersey officials about some participants arriving with protective gear.
Critics have also pointed to the recent closure of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman office, a critical oversight body for detention centers, attributing that decision to Congress rather than DHS.
On a local level, Newark has lifted the curfew imposed amid the protests, and family visitation has been reinstated. The legal battles between the state and the city against the detention center continue.
