Letter From NJ ICE Facility Details Conditions

NOTE: This article has been updated with a statement from the GEO Group

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Their letter begins with a plea for understanding: “We’d like to apologize for the way we entered the United States.”

On Thursday, advocates in North Jersey shared a letter signed by 25 federal immigration detainees at Delaney Hall in Newark.

The statement – titled “El Grito de Nosotros” – was written by Leonardo Villalba, who has since been transferred from the prison, advocates said. The other two dozen men who signed Villalba’s letter remain in ICE custody at Delaney Hall.

The 1,000-bed prison is the first federal detention center to open under the second term of President Donald Trump, who has claimed that a nationwide crackdown is needed to push back against a “large-scale invasion” of illegal immigration.

Delaney Hall 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.

Its owner, the GEO Group, is one of the largest private prison companies in the nation.

Patch reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and the GEO Group seeking comment about the detainees’ letter. A spokesperson with the GEO Group said the company is strongly denying the allegations, labeling them as “politically motivated” instigations from outside groups who are trying to smear contractors working with the federal government (read the GEO Group's full response below).

DETAINEES: 'WE DID NOT POSE A THREAT TO THE COUNTRY'

In the letter, Villalba and the other detainees acknowledged that they entered the country illegally – but claimed it was for a good reason.

“First, we’d like to apologize for the way we entered the United States, but we were experiencing safety circumstances that endangered our lives and the lives of some members of our family,” the letter says.

“Upon entering, we surrendered ourselves to border authorities who processed us,” the letter continues. “Some of us were given parole or a court date to continue our cases in accordance with the due process afforded to us by the Constitution and laws of the United States. We also attended periodic check-ins, obtained work permits and social security numbers, filed taxes, and were working legally and contributing to the economy.”

“Therefore, we did not pose a threat to the country or the communities where we resided,” the detainees wrote.

• See Related: NJ Undocumented Immigrants Pay $1B In Taxes, Study Says (Here’s How)

The detainees claimed they are not getting due process in the courts. Lawyers are afraid to represent them. Judges are denying cases and dismissing them outright.

Meanwhile, ICE agents are arresting people with mental health conditions and disabilities – along with elderly and juvenile detainees. Conditions are “overcrowded” and the flu is a “constant problem,” the detainees reported.

Families continue to suffer along with their incarcerated loved ones, the letter continues. Some children have been forced to watch their parents be arrested – not understanding what is happening.

Despite it all, there is still hope, the detainees said.

“Our American Dream is safety and protection – with our families,” their letter concludes. “Although this is a difficult situation, we trust in God and believe in American justice.”

Advocates with Eyes on ICE – a volunteer-run immigrant rights coalition based in North Jersey – said they were given the letter after U.S. Sen. Cory Booker’s site inspection on Jan. 23. The men had hoped to give the letter to Booker but never got the chance, they said.

The coalition said it is urging lawmakers to contact their local Congress member with a message: “No more funding for ICE – Period.”

Read the detainees’ full letter here.

GEO GROUP: 'WE ARE PROUD OF THE ROLE OUR COMPANY HAS PLAYED'

A spokesperson for the GEO Group told Patch that the company strongly denies the allegations posed in the letter, which it believes are “instigated by politically motivated outside groups as part of a campaign to abolish ICE and end federal immigration detention by attacking the federal government's immigration facility contractors.”

The company’s statement continues:

“We are proud of the role our company has played for 40 years to support the law enforcement mission of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Over the last four decades, our innovative support service solutions have helped the federal government implement the policies of seven different residential administrations. In all instances, our support services are monitored by ICE, including by on-site agency personnel, and other organizations within the Department of Homeland Security to ensure compliance with ICE’s detention standards and contract requirements regarding the treatment and services ICE detainees receive. In the event issues are identified, we quickly resolve all of ICE’s concerns as required by ICE’s Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan.”

The support services GEO provides include “around-the-clock access” to medical care, in-person and virtual legal and family visitation, general and legal library access, translation services, dietician-approved meals, religious and specialty diets, recreational amenities and opportunities to practice their religious beliefs, spokespeople said.

“At locations where the company provides health care services, individuals are provided with access to teams of medical professionals including physicians, nurses, dentists, psychologists, and psychiatrists,” the company told Patch. “Ready access to off-site medical specialists, imaging facilities, emergency medical services and local community hospitals is also provided when needed.”

All of the GEO Group’s ICE processing centers are independently accredited by the American Correctional Association and the National Commission on Correctional Health Care, spokespeople added.

IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT UNDER BIDEN

Although the focus on federal immigration enforcement has ramped up since Trump took office, large-scale ICE raids also took place in New Jersey during former President Joe Biden’s term.

The agency’s Newark field office processes federal detainees from across the state. Prior to New Jersey’s ban on ICE contracts, hundreds of people were being arrested and deported from the office every month.

A major immigration sweep took place in North Jersey the week before Trump’s inauguration, with ICE’s Newark field office arresting 33 non-citizens who have committed or been accused of crimes.

• Related: Detainee Population Surges At ICE Prison In NJ After It Reopens Under Trump
• Related: NJ Immigrant Detainee Dies In ICE Custody, Sparking Outcry From Advocates
• Related: Refugee Jailed In NJ Followed Legal Process, Faces Deportation Anyway
• Related: Essex County Installs Restrooms Near ICE Detention Center After Complaints

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