Protests, Lawsuits Mount Over Conditions at New Jersey Immigration Detention Center
7 verified11 unconfirmed
Protests at the Delaney Hall immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey, have intensified since late May, with demonstrators alleging inhumane conditions including rotten food and medical neglect. Law enforcement officers have responded with pepper spray and tear gas, leading to clashes. The facility is operated by GEO Group, a private prison contractor that runs numerous detention centers nationwide. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin has defended the conditions, denying allegations of abuse. The New Jersey attorney general has filed a lawsuit against GEO Group, claiming the company denied state health inspectors full access to investigate the facility. GEO Group has dismissed the criticisms as a politically motivated campaign against immigration enforcement.
What’s verified
Protests at Delaney Hall detention center in Newark began in late May 2026.
Demonstrators accuse the facility of providing rotten food and inadequate medical care.
Law enforcement used pepper spray and tear gas against protesters.
GEO Group operates the Delaney Hall facility.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin defended the conditions and denied allegations of abuse.
GEO Group called the criticisms a politically motivated campaign to dismantle ICE.
The New Jersey attorney general filed a lawsuit against GEO Group for denying state health inspectors full access.
Not yet confirmed
More than 80 people have been arrested during the protests.
Detainees launched a hunger strike last month, according to the advocacy group Cosecha.
President Donald Trump and his deputies denied any hunger strike or abuse.
White House Border Czar Tom Homan stated the food at the facility was good after a visit.
A law enforcement official was charged with stealing $10,000 worth of camera equipment from an Associated Press photojournalist.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill called in state police after declaring the situation unsafe.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka imposed a 9 p.m. curfew and later scaled back police presence.
About a third of people in immigration detention are in facilities run by GEO Group.
David Venturella, a former GEO Group executive, has begun his tenure as acting director of ICE.
Federal data indicates 2026 is the deadliest year in immigration detention since DHS was founded.
GEO Group made over $250 million in profit in 2025, a nearly 700% increase from the previous year.
Key figures
Markwayne Mullin (DHS Secretary), Tom Homan (White House Border Czar), George Zoley (GEO Group CEO), David Venturella (Acting ICE Director), Ras Baraka (Newark Mayor), Mikie Sherrill (New Jersey Governor), Silky Shah (Detention Watch Network), Lauren-Brooke Eisen (Brennan Center for Justice), Katherine Hawkins (Project on Government Oversight)
Sources: NPR, abcnews.com
