Hunger Strikes at ICE Facilities Prompt Curfew and Protests in New Jersey
5 verified1 unconfirmed
Hunger strikes at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities have led to ongoing protests and the imposition of a curfew in Newark, New Jersey. Roughly 300 detainees at the Delaney Hall facility in Newark have been on a hunger and labor strike, sparking daily demonstrations outside the jail. In response, Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka ordered a mandatory curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. within a half-mile radius of the facility. New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill was denied full access to the facility and has called for its shutdown, while deploying state police to help secure the area. ICE has denied claims of substandard conditions and the existence of a hunger strike at the facility. The protests have involved confrontations between demonstrators and law enforcement, with reports of chemical suppressants and other measures being used.
What’s verified
Hunger strikes have occurred at ICE detention facilities in multiple states, including at the Delaney Hall facility in Newark, New Jersey.
Approximately 300 detainees at Delaney Hall have been on a hunger and labor strike.
Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka imposed a curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. within a half-mile radius of Delaney Hall.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill was denied full access to the facility and has called for its shutdown.
ICE denied that substandard conditions exist or that a hunger strike is occurring.
Not yet confirmed
Only one source reported the specific demands of the striking detainees, including a meeting with the governor and the release of certain groups. Details about other facilities where hunger strikes occurred—Desert View Annex in California, North Lake Processing Center in Michigan, and Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Pennsylvania—come from a single report. Claims that Antifa-style support networks provided equipment to protesters and that mass arrests took place during the curfew are also from a single source. The exact number of arrests and the full scope of the curfew enforcement remain unclear.
Misconceptions
ICE and the Department of Homeland Security have denied claims of substandard conditions at the facilities and the existence of a hunger strike at Delaney Hall.
Key figures
Governor Mikie Sherrill (New Jersey)
Mayor Ras J. Baraka (Newark)
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin
Senator Andy Kim
Representative Rob Menendez
Sources: stateline.org, motherjones.com, realclearpolitics.com
