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Hunger strike reaches day six at Newark ICE detention center as Senator Kim exposes profit-driven cuts to medical care and food
About 300 detainees at Delaney Hall ICE detention facility in Newark are continuing a hunger and labor strike now in its sixth day, demanding better conditions and medical access. Senator Andy Kim gained entry after personally contacting the DHS secretary and accused private contractor Geo Group of cutting doctors and food to protect profits on a nearly billion-dollar federal contract. Protesters were pepper-sprayed overnight.
A hunger and labour strike at Delaney Hall, a private ICE detention facility in Newark, New Jersey, has entered its sixth day as approximately 300 detainees continue to refuse food in protest against what they describe as inadequate conditions, insufficient medical care, and the detention of individuals with serious health issues. The strike has drawn national attention and prompted visits from lawmakers, including Senator Andy Kim, who gained access to the facility only after personally contacting the Department of Homeland Security secretary.
Overnight scenes outside the facility turned confrontational as ICE officers deployed what appeared to be pepper spray against protesters who had gathered in solidarity with the striking detainees. Video footage showed officers spraying demonstrators who were attempting to block vehicles leaving the facility. Homeland Security Secretary Mark Wayne Mullins posted on X that two arrests were made after protesters allegedly sprayed an unknown substance on law enforcement officers, though the video evidence appeared to tell a different story.
Senator Kim's account of conditions inside Delaney Hall has raised serious questions about the private contractor running the facility. Kim accused Geo Group, which holds a contract worth close to one billion dollars to operate Delaney Hall, of deliberately cutting back on doctors and food in order to protect the company's profit margins. He argued that Geo Group has the financial resources to hire more medical staff and provide better nutrition but chooses not to because doing so would reduce its earnings from the lucrative federal contract.
The Department of Homeland Security has disputed claims of poor conditions inside the facility, stating in an official statement that detainees receive three meals per day, basic necessities, and access to medical care. DHS officials added that the facility is maintained in better condition than most jails that house US citizens. However, the striking detainees and their advocates argue that the reality inside Delaney Hall falls far short of these official assurances, pointing to specific instances of denied medical treatment and inadequate nutrition.
The situation at Delaney Hall has become a flashpoint in the broader national debate over immigration detention and the role of private contractors in the federal detention system. New Jersey Governor Mikey Sherrill attempted to visit the facility on Monday but was denied entry, a move that drew criticism from protesters who said she should have pushed harder for access. The detainees have stated that their hunger strike will continue until their demands for improved conditions, proper medical care, and the release of those with health-related issues are met. With no resolution in sight, the standoff between detainees, federal authorities, and the private contractor appears set to escalate further.