Newark Mayor Criticizes State Police Tactics as Hunger Strike Continues at ICE Facility
7 verified5 unconfirmed2 contested
For over a week, roughly 300 detainees at the Delaney Hall immigration detention center in Newark have been on a hunger strike, alleging poor conditions including inadequate food, medical care, and unsanitary living spaces. Daily protests outside the facility have escalated, leading New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill to order state police to secure the area. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka has criticized the state police’s tactics, describing the agency as acting like “a sword,” while also supporting the governor’s decision to intervene. Baraka imposed a curfew near the facility and has pursued legal action against the facility’s operator, the GEO Group, over code violations and conditions. Federal officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, deny the existence of a hunger strike and maintain that conditions meet detention standards. The city of Newark has an ongoing lawsuit against GEO Group, and state officials have sought full access to the facility for health inspections. The Department of Homeland Security has dismissed the state’s actions as a “political stunt” and called a related lawsuit frivolous.
What’s verified
Approximately 300 detainees at Delaney Hall are on a hunger strike, alleging poor conditions including inadequate food, medical care, and unsanitary conditions.
Daily protests outside the facility have led to clashes with law enforcement.
Governor Mikie Sherrill ordered New Jersey State Police to the area.
Mayor Ras Baraka criticized state police tactics and imposed a curfew near the facility.
Newark has an existing or potential lawsuit against GEO Group over the facility’s conditions.
Federal officials deny the existence of a hunger strike and claim conditions are adequate.
State health officials have been denied full access to conduct inspections of the facility.
Where accounts differ
Source 1 indicates Newark has been in active litigation against GEO Group for a year and now plans to expand it. Source 4 reports the mayor said the city may file a lawsuit if the facility is not closed. These accounts differ on whether a lawsuit has already been filed or is being threatened.
No other direct contradictions were identified across the sources.
Not yet confirmed
The specific details of the curfew (hours from 9 pm to 6 am within a half-mile radius) come from a single report.
Senator Andy Kim being pepper-sprayed by ICE agents while attempting to defuse tensions is reported by only one source.
The demands of the hunger strikers (a meeting with the governor, release of detainees, review of cases, and an end to self-deportation pressure) are listed in only one source.
The lawsuit filed by New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport against GEO Group seeking health department access is reported by only one source.
Whether Mayor Baraka directly described state police as “a sword” is reported by only one source.
Misconceptions
Federal officials have characterized accusations of poor conditions as a “hoax” and denied the existence of a hunger strike, claiming detainees are provided adequate food and services.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin suggested that detainees refusing to eat were demanding ethnic food, a claim that appears in multiple reports and is contested by protesters and advocates.
Key figures
Ras Baraka, Mayor of Newark
Mikie Sherrill, Governor of New Jersey
Markwayne Mullin, Secretary of Homeland Security
Andy Kim, U.S. Senator
Jennifer Davenport, New Jersey Attorney General
The GEO Group, private contractor operating Delaney Hall
Sources: foxnews.com, stateline.org, motherjones.com, newrepublic.com
