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Day 7 of clashes at Newark's Delaney Hall ICE facility, Congressional Democrats inspect conditions inside as NJ lawmaker proposes 50% tax on private detention centers
Clashes continued for a seventh day outside Delaney Hall immigration detention center in Newark, with reports of violence inside. Congressional Democrats Mejia, Menendez and Pallone inspected conditions while the governor was denied access. A NJ assemblywoman proposed a bill to tax private detention centers at 50%, with funds going to immigration lawyers. In Roxbury, a judge paused construction of a new ICE facility.
Clashes between protesters and ICE officers continued for a seventh consecutive day outside Delaney Hall immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey. Protesters armed with umbrellas to block pepper spray from officers confronted vehicles entering and exiting the facility. Inside, detainees on hunger strike are demanding better medical care, release of those with medical issues, the young and elderly, and ultimately freedom for everyone detained.
Reports of violence inside the facility have raised serious concerns. Advocacy groups allege that detainees in Units 2A and 2B were pepper sprayed and physically assaulted by guards. The Department of Homeland Security countered that officers were breaking up a fight between detainees. Without independent access to the facility, these competing accounts cannot be independently verified.
Congressional Democrats Robert Menendez Jr., Rob Mejia, and Frank Pallone were granted access to inspect conditions inside Delaney Hall on Thursday. They reported hearing chilling and painful stories about failures in medical attention. Meanwhile, Governor Phil Sherrill and state health inspectors have been denied entry, though DHS Secretary Mark Wayne Mullen posted that NJ State Health Department officials did inspect the food service department.
New Jersey lawmakers are now moving to block new ICE detention centers from opening in the state. In Roxbury, a judge ordered a pause in construction of a warehouse being converted into an immigration facility after the town and state sued the federal government. A NJ assemblywoman has introduced a bill to tax private detention centers at 50%, with every dollar funding lawyers for immigrants facing deportation.
The situation at Delaney Hall has become a flashpoint in the broader national debate over immigration enforcement. Republican Senate candidate Alex Zidane called the protests unacceptable, saying anyone who touches a law enforcement officer should go to jail. Incumbent Democrat Cory Booker expressed concern about the GEO Group's operation of the facility. Advocates are calling for a full investigation and urging state leaders to shut down the facility, News 12 reported.