Newark Mayor Seeks Probe of 900-Detainee Delaney Hall as Hunger-Strike Abuse Claims Mount
Updated
Updated · NBC News · May 27
Newark Mayor Seeks Probe of 900-Detainee Delaney Hall as Hunger-Strike Abuse Claims Mount
7 articles · Updated · NBC News · May 27
Ras Baraka said Tuesday he will ask Gov. Mikie Sherrill to empower New Jersey’s attorney general to investigate Delaney Hall and called for an independent state health inspection.
Nearly 900 detainees were held there in early April, and lawyers and the ACLU say some launched a hunger strike over expired food, worms in meals, unsanitary conditions and lack of medical care.
DHS flatly denied both the hunger strike and abuse allegations, saying detainees receive three meals a day, clean water and comprehensive healthcare; GEO Group said ICE monitors services for compliance.
The investigation push follows Monday clashes outside the Newark facility, where federal agents used pepper balls and chemical agents after protesters blocked an entrance, according to officials and lawmakers on scene.
Delaney Hall has become a recurring New Jersey flashpoint over immigration detention, with lawmakers saying federal officials have restricted access and critics demanding the facility be shut down.
When officials are barred from entry, how can the public trust claims about humane conditions inside detention centers?
As a detention contractor’s profits surge, what is the true human cost for those held inside its facilities?
With plans to detain thousands in warehouses, is this the future of American immigration enforcement?