NEWARK, N.J. — Democratic members of Congress visited the Delaney Hall immigration detention center in Newark on Wednesday, amid protests that have alleged a hunger strike and harsh treatment for those detained.
U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillat, Representative Jerry Nadler and Rep. Dan Goldman took an hour‑long tour of the facility, which is operated by a private prison company along Newark Bay. During the visit, Espaillat said the detainees were refusing food amid what he described as “inhumane” conditions, adding, “We will shut this center down. We will shut it down.”
After the tour, Nadler and Goldman spoke with protestors and families of detainees outside the secured gate. Goldman remarked, “We want to make sure the conditions here are going to be dealt with,” before entering the compound.
Over 50 demonstrators held signs reading “Stop Family Separation” and shouted “Free Them All” and other slogans. Some shouted accusations at the armed ICE officers who were present, calling them “cowards” and “idiots.” The protests, which began on Friday, have at times been tense.
On Monday, U.S. Sen. Andy Kim, a New Jersey Democrat, publicly described being pepper‑sprayed by ICE agents while attempting to meet detainees with Gov. Mikie Sherrill and a delegation of Democratic officials. Kim posted on social media that ICE “sent in an armored vehicle… and a line of armed agents that only poured gasoline on the fire” and that civilians were tackled and restrained.
Gabriela Soto, whose husband is among the detainees, said Wednesday that he had participated in the hunger strike before being transferred to another facility. She noted that the number of participants has increased to include nearly all detainees, wearing a black shirt that read “Abolish ICE.”
Amol Sinha, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey, cited “horror stories” involving pregnant women and other detainees denied proper medical care. “Cruelty is the point,” Sinha said.
ICE officials have not publicly responded to the AP’s request for comment. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, denied any hunger strike or abuse, dismissing the allegations as political posturing. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said, “The fact is, we’re giving them the calories they want.”
Former President Donald Trump also defended the facility, claiming it is among “the finest” of its type, “but some horrible killers” have visited it.
Delaney Hall has been a frequent flashpoint for protests and clashes between immigrant‑rights advocates and U.S. immigration enforcement since it opened in May. Earlier on the same day, New Jersey Senator Andy Kim was pepper‑sprayed during a separate attempt to visit the center. New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill and other officials also faced clashes during earlier protests when the 1,000‑bed facility opened.
The controversy continues as lawmakers, protesters, and federal officials grapple with the future of the facility and the conditions faced by those detained there.
U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillat, Representative Jerry Nadler and Rep. Dan Goldman took an hour‑long tour of the facility, which is operated by a private prison company along Newark Bay. During the visit, Espaillat said the detainees were refusing food amid what he described as “inhumane” conditions, adding, “We will shut this center down. We will shut it down.”
After the tour, Nadler and Goldman spoke with protestors and families of detainees outside the secured gate. Goldman remarked, “We want to make sure the conditions here are going to be dealt with,” before entering the compound.
Over 50 demonstrators held signs reading “Stop Family Separation” and shouted “Free Them All” and other slogans. Some shouted accusations at the armed ICE officers who were present, calling them “cowards” and “idiots.” The protests, which began on Friday, have at times been tense.
On Monday, U.S. Sen. Andy Kim, a New Jersey Democrat, publicly described being pepper‑sprayed by ICE agents while attempting to meet detainees with Gov. Mikie Sherrill and a delegation of Democratic officials. Kim posted on social media that ICE “sent in an armored vehicle… and a line of armed agents that only poured gasoline on the fire” and that civilians were tackled and restrained.
Gabriela Soto, whose husband is among the detainees, said Wednesday that he had participated in the hunger strike before being transferred to another facility. She noted that the number of participants has increased to include nearly all detainees, wearing a black shirt that read “Abolish ICE.”
Amol Sinha, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey, cited “horror stories” involving pregnant women and other detainees denied proper medical care. “Cruelty is the point,” Sinha said.
ICE officials have not publicly responded to the AP’s request for comment. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, denied any hunger strike or abuse, dismissing the allegations as political posturing. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said, “The fact is, we’re giving them the calories they want.”
Former President Donald Trump also defended the facility, claiming it is among “the finest” of its type, “but some horrible killers” have visited it.
Delaney Hall has been a frequent flashpoint for protests and clashes between immigrant‑rights advocates and U.S. immigration enforcement since it opened in May. Earlier on the same day, New Jersey Senator Andy Kim was pepper‑sprayed during a separate attempt to visit the center. New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill and other officials also faced clashes during earlier protests when the 1,000‑bed facility opened.
The controversy continues as lawmakers, protesters, and federal officials grapple with the future of the facility and the conditions faced by those detained there.
