New Jersey Governor Questions Access to Delaney Hall Detention Centre Amidst Protests
Clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement have led to six arrests, while federal officials and state politicians dispute the conditions inside the centre operated by GEO Group.
Tensions escalated outside the Delaney Hall immigrant detention centre in New Jersey this month as protesters clashed with law enforcement and detainees reportedly staged a hunger strike. The facility, located outside Newark, has become a focal point in President Donald Trump’s second term immigration policy, with local and federal officials exchanging accusations over transparency and living conditions.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill issued a statement on Thursday confirming that health authorities were denied full access to the facility. The governor, who has previously called for the centre’s closure, stated that the refusal to allow inspections raises serious questions about what Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is concealing from public view.
On Wednesday night, demonstrators erected makeshift barriers and formed human chains to block access to the site. Some protesters wore gas masks during the confrontation. The Department of Homeland Security reported that six individuals were arrested overnight for allegedly assaulting federal agents, with the department asserting that such actions constitute a felony and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Three US representatives—Jerry Nadler, Daniel Goldman, and Adriano Espaillat—inspected the centre on Wednesday night, describing dire conditions including medical neglect and spoiled food. Representative Frank Pallone, who had previously visited the site, corroborated these findings, citing observations of mouldy food and detainees waiting over a week for medical attention.
Delaney Hall is operated by private contractor GEO Group under contract with ICE and was reopened in February 2025. Local officials, including Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, have long contested the facility’s operation, claiming it was repurposed without proper permits. While charges against Mayor Baraka from a previous protest were dropped, US Congress member LaMonica McIver faces assault charges which she denies as political.
A CNN report earlier this week indicated that 50 immigrants have died in detention nationwide during Trump’s second term, the highest number in at least two decades. Critics argue that the administration is attempting to conceal poor conditions across the detention network, with members of Congress reporting being turned away from various facilities in defiance of oversight authority.
