Newark detention center unrest by detainees over inadequate food, say advocates

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• The 1,196-bed Delaney Hall is the first immigrant detention center to open during the second term of President Donald Trump.

A riot was reported inside Delaney Hall, the Newark immigrant detention center, on the evening of June 12 after detainees protested over insufficient food and other conditions, according to several immigration rights groups.

The New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice posted on the social media platform X at 7:03 p.m., “We are on the ground NOW where there are reports of gas, pepper spray, and a possible fire at Delaney Hall.” About four hours later, it posted, “Vans barrel past protestors into the street at Delaney Hall, where people in detention were protesting insufficient lunch after a 20 hr period of NO food.”

NJ.com reported that 50 inmates in the federal detention facility joined efforts to push down the wall of a unit after meals were delivered late. On Thursday night, there were also unconfirmed reports that several people had escaped from the facility.

Jenny Garcia, a New Jersey-based communications associate for Detention Watch Network, a national coalition focused on abolishing immigration detention in the United States, spoke to NorthJersey.com while standing outside the facility about the situation on the ground.

“Reports from people inside, allegedly, believed to be in Unit 5, were tear-gassed. People are coughing up a storm, and visitation was denied,” Garcia said.

She said that protestors outside the facility at 10:30 p.m. had blocked a car driven by ICE agents from driving away from the facility. Video posted on social media platforms by various accounts shows federal agents in confrontations with protesters.

Mary Rizzo, an activist and member of the Democratic Socialists of America, was also part of the crowd that had gathered outside, which included family members visiting detainees and protesters who had gathered daily outside the Delaney Center since its opening on May 1.

“We got here a little after 6,” Rizzo said in a video posted online. “When we got here, there were about 45 people on line waiting to visit family members. Some folks heard a popping noise and then immediately, all of us started choking. Right after that, they canceled visitations, saying there were technical issues and it’s for your own safety to not be allowed inside.”

Haydi Torres with Movimiento Cosecha had also heard complaints about insufficient food, including reports that detainees were served cold hot dogs and a bottle of water. Detainees also complained about strict limits on visits, allowing only 20 people to visit per day for a facility under contract to hold up to 1,000 people.

NorthJersey.com was not immediately able to confirm reports of rioting or scuffling with authorities.

The 1,196-bed Delaney Hall is the first immigrant detention center to open during the second term of President Donald Trump, during which the president has vowed to deport at least 11 million undocumented immigrants. In February, the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency awarded GEO Group a contract to hold migrants facing deportation at Delaney Hall. In May, the detention center opened.

The report about inadequate food confirms what immigration advocates have told a NorthJersey.com reporter recently about some of the conditions at the facility, which includes two substandard meals a day served after more than 10 hours apart and arbitrary visiting hours.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, a critic of the facility who was arrested in front of it on May 9, said in a statement, “We are concerned about reports of what has transpired at Delaney Hall this evening, ranging from withholding food and poor treatment, to uprising and escaped detainees. This entire situation lacks sufficient oversight of every basic detail — including local zoning laws and fundamental constitutional rights. This is why city officials and our congressional delegation need to be allowed entry to observe and monitor, and why private prisons pose a very real problem to our state and its constitution. We demand immediate answers and clear communication with the GEO Group and the Department of Homeland Security. We must put an end to this chaos and not allow this operation to continue unchecked.”

The Department of Justice dropped a trespassing charge against Baraka on May 21.

Congresswoman LaMonica McIver said in a statement that she was monitoring the situation, but that ICE had not responded to her request for information about what was happening at the facility.

“I have serious concerns about the reports of abusive circumstances at the facility,” McIver said. “Even now, as we are hearing reports from news organizations and advocates on the ground about a lack of food and basic rights for those inside, the administration appears to be stonewalling efforts to learn the truth,” she wrote.

McIver was also arrested outside the facility on May 9, charged with “assaulting, impeding, and interfering with law enforcement” during the Delaney Hall incident. McIver, who said she was there to inspect the facility as a member of Congress, added that they are politically motivated.

Representatives from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and GEO Group could not be immediately reached for comment.

Ricardo Kaulessar covers race, immigration, and culture for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: [email protected]

Twitter/X: @ricardokaul