Belleville Students Invited To Volunteer At ICE Prison, Angry Parents Raise Outcry

BELLEVILLE, NJ — An online post inviting Belleville High School students to volunteer at an ICE detention center in Newark has sparked a wave of outrage from parents who say they don’t want their kids anywhere near the prison – even if it’s just to make sandwiches.

Earlier this week, a message was posted on the BHS class of 2027 Google Classroom page, referencing a potential student volunteer opportunity.

“Looking for service hours?” the post inquired, listing the address for Delaney Hall. “Come help us at the ICE detention facility during the following days and times!”

Delaney Hall was the first federal detention center to open under President Donald Trump’s second term. The 1,000-bed prison has seen a wave of controversy since reopening, including allegations of poor treatment of detainees and visitors, several arrests involving demonstrators, federal charges against the city’s mayor and a U.S. congresswoman, a high-profile prison escape, and a detainee who died in federal custody.

The Google Classroom post was one of the main topics of conversation during a board of education meeting on Wednesday evening.

Belleville School Superintendent Erick Alfonso acknowledged parents’ concerns, explaining that the volunteer opportunity was to make sandwiches and food for detainees in an effort to “support them.”

According to the superintendent, the message wasn’t authorized, and was not “aligned to the district’s expectations or protocols.” It was eventually taken offline.

“Once identified, the situation was immediately addressed promptly at the school level,” he said, adding that actions were taken and remediations were put in place.

“We remain committed to ensuring that all students and all communication are appropriately vetted through the district,” Alfonso said.

Alfonso added that as a first-generation son of immigrant parents, he knows how sensitive topics like ICE and immigration can be.

“It is a personnel matter that we cannot discuss in detail, but rest assured that things are being taken care of,” he said.

PARENTS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS SPEAK OUT

Some attendees at the meeting were livid about the situation.

“What happened yesterday with this message to our students saying that they could fulfill some of their community service obligations – which are required for graduation – by volunteering at the ICE facility is beyond despicable,” former school board member Michael Sheldon said during public comment.

“You have to do something about this and not just give this lip service,” he urged. “We are all expecting real action to follow.”

Sheldon pointed out that it isn’t the first immigration-related controversy that the district has seen lately. Last year, a group of Belleville High School staff members raised eyebrows when they reportedly donned t-shirts with the words “Gulf of America.”

Another speaker told the board that she was aware of the controversy and appreciated the update from the superintendent.

“But I do want to say as a Latina woman and an educator raised in an urban district serving an urban district, I understand how something like that can impact families and students,” she added. “And in a district that serves a large Latino community, that should have never happened in the first place.”

According to recent statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau, 51.9 percent of Belleville residents identify as Hispanic or Latino.

Another woman called the situation “disappointing,” adding that there are still lingering questions that many parents are asking.

“What was this service actually about?” she asked. “Was this for ICE or a separate organization volunteering at the facility? I think we have a right to receive that clarification.”

Another parent said the decision to list the volunteer opportunity at Delaney Hall was a “very bad judgement call,” adding that he was concerned about conditions at the prison.

“Is Belleville High School a recruiting site for ICE?” he asked.

It wasn’t only parents speaking out. A woman told the board that she learned about the situation when she went to pick up her grandson at school earlier this week.

“Gram – I got the weirdest email from my counselor today,” the teen told her.

Initially suspecting that his account had been hacked, the lifelong Belleville resident reached out to district administrators, who confirmed it wasn’t hearsay.

“Obviously, it was a little alarming to me and I don't think it's a great idea to send my child to Delaney Hall,” she said.

The woman added that although the staff member who sent the email made a “giant lapse in judgement,” she shouldn’t be thrown under the bus either, calling her “compassionate, kind and caring.”

Toward the end of the meeting, a member of the Fraternal Order Police Local 106 – which represents officers at the nearby Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark – also spoke against the idea of sending students to volunteer at Delaney Hall.

“I’ve been in Delaney Hall,” the retired shift commander said. “I would not recommend any student from this community going down there at all.”

No parents or community members spoke in favor of the volunteer posting at the meeting.

Watch footage from the school board's March 18 meeting here, or view it below.

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