Family visitation resumed at Delaney Hall as protests and a detainee hunger strike entered a second week, drawing increased attention to conditions inside the facility.
Protests continued through the weekend outside the Delaney Hall immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey, as detained immigrants inside the facility entered the ninth day of an ongoing hunger and labor strike.
Delaney Hall is a 1,000-bed facility operated by the private company Geo Group (GEO.N) on behalf of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The protests began after detainees raised concerns about conditions inside the facility, including medical care, food quality, sanitation, overcrowding, and faster action on their immigration cases. Critics, including immigrant advocates and Democratic politicians, have called for closing the facility, which they have described as a poorly run site with inhumane conditions. The situation gained wider attention following confrontations between protesters and law enforcement outside the detention center.
According to Reuters, New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill confirmed that family visitation, which had been suspended during the unrest, would resume at the facility. Newark officials also imposed an overnight curfew in the area surrounding the detention center, while New Jersey State Police expanded restricted zones around the site following several nights of protests and arrests.
Addressing the unrest, Sherrill criticized individuals she said were contributing to the disorder around the facility. “You should not be here,” she said of those who came to create chaos. “You are not helping the people detained at Delaney Hall. You’re not helping detainee families and you’re certainly not keeping New Jersey safe.”
The demonstrations have drawn both opponents and supporters of ICE. On Saturday, anti-ICE protesters and a smaller group of counter protesters gathered outside the facility, separated by police barricades.
According to The Guardian, the opposing demonstrations followed a tense Friday night during which state police fired tear gas canisters and pepper-ball projectiles at anti-ICE protesters. State police officers also arrived on horseback and pushed demonstrators back from the detention center.
Federal investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) were also present in the area as authorities monitored the situation.
“Some activists were seen retrieving face coverings, gas masks, fireworks, rocks, and other projectiles from a nearby tent area,” said State Police Lieutenant Colonel David Sierotowicz.
Video footages from Friday showed officers advancing with riot shields and deploying tear gas. Sierotowicz said police used standard crowd-control tactics to move demonstrators away from the facility and that no significant injuries were reported among law enforcement personnel or members of the public.
Several Democratic lawmakers and immigrant-rights organizations have called for greater oversight of conditions at Delaney Hall and increased transparency regarding operations at the facility.
While visitation has resumed in part, advocacy groups say concerns regarding medical care, living conditions, and detainee treatment remain unresolved.
The developments at Delaney Hall come amid broader discussions surrounding U.S. immigration policy. Recent changes to immigration procedures and green card processing have also generated concern among some legal immigrants, including H-1B visa holders, international students, and employment-based green card applicants.
Immigration attorneys and advocacy groups have raised questions about recent U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) guidance and stricter filing requirements, particularly concerning adjustment-of-status applications. Discussions on online immigration forums have reflected concerns among applicants regarding potential impacts on visa holders and individuals seeking permanent residency.
Federal officials maintain that current enforcement measures and immigration procedures are necessary to administer U.S. immigration law and ensure public safety.
Meanwhile, protests outside Delaney Hall continued over the weekend as authorities, advocates, and detainees awaited further developments.