In response to the growing reports of inhuman conditions at Delaney Hall detention center — which has prompted tense clashes between protesters and ICE agents outside the facility — Newark Mayor Ras Baraka has requested that the governor “empower the Attorney General to immediately investigate Delaney Hall.”
For days, the Delaney Hall detention facility has been a flashpoint between protesters and ICE agents, over reports of inhumane living conditions inside the facility — something the federal government deny.
“In light of these alarming reports, we are going to request assistance from the Governor to empower the Attorney General to immediately investigate Delaney Hall,” Baraka’s statement reads in part. “This should include but is not limited to its certificate of occupancy, compliance with state and local regulations, and the conditions of detainees housed there. I also call for a full and independent inspection by the Department of Health to assess the facility’s conditions and ensure compliance with public health and safety standards, with periodic inspections to ensure compliance moving forward.”
“It is imperative that we take all necessary steps to uphold the rule of law, ensure accountability, and protect the dignity and rights of some of the most vulnerable individuals in our care.”
Another clash happened Sunday with the confrontation becoming so tense Sunday that some protestors were pepper-sprayed after throwing water bottles at ice agents.
Early Monday morning protestors chanted, held signs, and even kneeled in front of three vans trying to leave Delaney Hall in an effort to prevent them from doing so.
“I think it’s very clear that people are willing to put themselves on the line to try to resist exactly everything that’s going on with this administration when it comes to immigration issues,” Kyler Dineen, a community activist, said.
“They are right now on a work strike and hunger strike protesting their conditions but also demanding to be set free,” a source tells NBC New York.
ICE personnel with face coverings on and batons in hand stood in front of an armored vehicle near those protesters. Advocates say they simply want answers about reports of inhumane living conditions inside the facility that advocates say has led to a hunger strike among detainees.
Protesters say they’re trying to ensure those detainees maintaining the hunger strike are not transported to another ICE facility. While some politicians were granted access over the weekend to see the inside, New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill, was refused entry.
“I’ve been advocating to go inside the prison for days now,” Sherrill said. “I was just denied that this morning officially.”
Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security released a statement saying they provide wraparound medical care services for everyone in their custody, as well as adequate meals, hygiene products, and communication access.
Both politicians and protestors question the validity of that statement.
“I think everyone needs to be treated humanely and the main thing that were protesting above all else is the condition of this facility,” Dineen said.
Protestors say they plan to be out here all day long just to make sure officials with ICE and DHS hear their message loud and clear.
In a statement on Tuesday, Baraka explained that the city has already been in litigation with GEO Group, which operates the facility. The litigation is due to the group’s alleged failure of complying the municipal laws and the the facility has been marred by the collapse of a wall, the death of a detainee, the ongoing hunger strikes and, according to Baraka, there have been instances of letters smuggled out by detainees that share accounts “poor-quality food” as well “of serious humanitarian and constitutional violations. The letters describe alarming health conditions, including widespread illness, flu outbreaks, and the denial of necessary medical treatment for chronic and life-threatening conditions such as HIV, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.”
Here is Baraka’s full statement on Delaney Hall:
“For the past year, the City has been engaged in litigation with the GEO Group due to its failure to comply with municipal ordinances when it began operating Delaney Hall. Our concerns remain unresolved, as critical city agencies, including the Health Department, Fire Division, and Code Enforcement, have repeatedly been denied access to inspect the facility.
“While we have pursued this matter through the courts, GEO Group has continued to operate a facility marked by deeply troubling incidents. These include the collapse of a wall resulting in a security breach, the death of a detainee while in custody, and an ongoing hunger strike by detainees.
“These concerns are further substantiated by letters smuggled out by detainees themselves, which provide firsthand accounts of serious humanitarian and constitutional violations. The letters describe alarming health conditions, including widespread illness, flu outbreaks, and the denial of necessary medical treatment for chronic and life-threatening conditions such as HIV, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Detainees also report inadequate and poor-quality food, compounding these dangerous and inhumane conditions.
“In light of these alarming reports, we are going to request assistance from the Governor to empower the Attorney General to immediately investigate Delaney Hall. This should include but is not limited to its certificate of occupancy, compliance with state and local regulations, and the conditions of detainees housed there. I also call for a full and independent inspection by the Department of Health to assess the facility’s conditions and ensure compliance with public health and safety standards, with periodic inspections to ensure compliance moving forward.
“It is imperative that we take all necessary steps to uphold the rule of law, ensure accountability, and protect the dignity and rights of some of the most vulnerable individuals in our care.”
