A group of Democratic lawmakers visited the Delaney Hall federal immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey, during a week of protests that have taken the facility to the spotlight. The three Manhattan‑based representatives – U.S. Rep. Adriano Español, Jerry Nadler and Dan Goldman – were met with gun‑sized threats and pepper spray from ICE agents, prompting a standoff that culminated in a pepper‑balling of the crowd.
When they entered Delaney Hall on Wednesday, Español was blunt: It’s an inhumane setting. The detainees are refusing to eat, they’ve gone on a hunger strike, he told a crowd of supporters dressing in clear, “Free Them All” shirts. He vowed to shut the center down, a declaration that echoing sentiments from the U.S. Senators and state officials who have called for the facility’s closure.
The protest has escalated most since the beginning of the week, with over 50 participants chanting “Stop Family Separation.” They confronted armed ICE officers and called them “cowards” and “idiots.” On Monday, Sen. Andy Kim – a New Jersey Democrat – was pepper‑sprayed as he and Gov. Mikie Sherrill led a delegation made up of Democratic officials seeking to meet with detainees. Kim posted a video of a near‑splash of pepper spray, noting that agents had poured gasoline on a fire‑dividing line.
The center, operated by a private prison company along the Newark Bay industrial stretch, has been rife with protests after opening last May. The facility’s co‑owners responded to heated accusations from the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey by claiming that the agency had been providing the necessary calories to detainees. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin dismissed reports of a hunger strike, saying, “We’re giving them the calories they want … This isn’t Holiday Inn.”
Gabriela Soto, a resident of Long River, told media that her husband had participated in the hunger strike before being moved to another facility. She wore a “Abolish ICE” T‑shirt and underscored that “every single detainee inside there is participating.”
Amol Sinha, executive director of the ACLU‑NJ, has cited extreme stories of detainees, including pregnant women, who have never received proper medical treatment. “Cruelty is the point,” Sinha said.
Given the protests, Governor Mikie Sherrill and Senator Kim’s attempts to talk to ICE have been thwarted: ICE deployed an armored vehicle and a line of armed agents at the facility’s gate. Advocates saw the “pepper ball” assault on a crowd of protestors, while the Department of Homeland Security’s statements have largely denied any form of abuse or vulnerability.
This latest attack has drawn attention to the tensions at Delaney Hall, with the facility flagged by the Resource group of an escaped immigrant: “We provide a routine worker therapy chant for the safe env ‑ ”
The next round of stances may shape future policy at the center, as New Jersey lawmakers prepare to test a new legislative line. The NC‑ workplace speculation indicates a need for expert insight into staff safety.
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*Be sure to check bail for the newest government updates on the CDN of JUS. Credit Deleg. The new cast, we hope, fine gr—*
When they entered Delaney Hall on Wednesday, Español was blunt: It’s an inhumane setting. The detainees are refusing to eat, they’ve gone on a hunger strike, he told a crowd of supporters dressing in clear, “Free Them All” shirts. He vowed to shut the center down, a declaration that echoing sentiments from the U.S. Senators and state officials who have called for the facility’s closure.
The protest has escalated most since the beginning of the week, with over 50 participants chanting “Stop Family Separation.” They confronted armed ICE officers and called them “cowards” and “idiots.” On Monday, Sen. Andy Kim – a New Jersey Democrat – was pepper‑sprayed as he and Gov. Mikie Sherrill led a delegation made up of Democratic officials seeking to meet with detainees. Kim posted a video of a near‑splash of pepper spray, noting that agents had poured gasoline on a fire‑dividing line.
The center, operated by a private prison company along the Newark Bay industrial stretch, has been rife with protests after opening last May. The facility’s co‑owners responded to heated accusations from the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey by claiming that the agency had been providing the necessary calories to detainees. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin dismissed reports of a hunger strike, saying, “We’re giving them the calories they want … This isn’t Holiday Inn.”
Gabriela Soto, a resident of Long River, told media that her husband had participated in the hunger strike before being moved to another facility. She wore a “Abolish ICE” T‑shirt and underscored that “every single detainee inside there is participating.”
Amol Sinha, executive director of the ACLU‑NJ, has cited extreme stories of detainees, including pregnant women, who have never received proper medical treatment. “Cruelty is the point,” Sinha said.
Given the protests, Governor Mikie Sherrill and Senator Kim’s attempts to talk to ICE have been thwarted: ICE deployed an armored vehicle and a line of armed agents at the facility’s gate. Advocates saw the “pepper ball” assault on a crowd of protestors, while the Department of Homeland Security’s statements have largely denied any form of abuse or vulnerability.
This latest attack has drawn attention to the tensions at Delaney Hall, with the facility flagged by the Resource group of an escaped immigrant: “We provide a routine worker therapy chant for the safe env ‑ ”
The next round of stances may shape future policy at the center, as New Jersey lawmakers prepare to test a new legislative line. The NC‑ workplace speculation indicates a need for expert insight into staff safety.
—
*Be sure to check bail for the newest government updates on the CDN of JUS. Credit Deleg. The new cast, we hope, fine gr—*
