Pro-Immigrant Protests Continue Outside ICE Detention Center In Newark

NEWARK, NJ — Protesters continue to demonstrate outside a federal immigration detention facility in New Jersey, nearly three months after it began accepting detainees.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) started housing detainees at Delaney Hall – a 1,000-bed privately owned prison in Newark – on May 1. The facility has seen a wave of controversy since then, including several arrests involving demonstrators, federal charges against the city’s mayor and a U.S. congresswoman, and a high-profile prison escape.

Protests will continue this week outside the prison, according to a social media post from Pax Christi New Jersey, one of the advocacy groups that has been helping to spearhead pro-immigrant rallies at Delaney Hall.

“We are meeting hundreds of people each week who are trying to navigate the cruel and complicated system of immigration detention,” the group wrote.

The company that runs Delaney Hall, the GEO Group, has denied reports of poor treatment of inmates and a detainee “uprising” that took place prior to last month’s prison escape.

The GEO Group previously said it is working with ICE and local law enforcement to apprehend the detainees and carry out an investigation into how the escape took place.

A company spokesperson disputed claims of poor conditions at the prison:

“Contrary to current reporting, there has been no widespread unrest at the facility. We remain dedicated to providing high-quality services to those in our care, including 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.”

Some Republican politicians – including U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew – have claimed that detainees at the controversial facility are being “treated with dignity” and are being housed in a place that “exceeds the standards of many of our own U.S. prisons.”

Advocates continue to express concern about conditions for the people entering Delaney Hall, however. According to Pax Christi New Jersey:

FOOD/TOILETS – “Reports of conditions inside continue to be bad. People always complain about how poor the food is. We also heard that people inside are not receiving toothpaste and other toiletries. One visitor told us that the toilets were ‘stuck.’”

VISITATION – “The GEO Group restricted visiting hours again. Now they are only two hours per week and only on weekends. People are required to begin lining up an hour before visiting hours start for the unit their loved one is in. People begin lining up several hours in advance because only 15 people per unit will receive visits. Once that number has been reached the rest of the people on line are told that they will not be allowed to visit.”

CLOTHES – “We continue to supply shoes and other items of clothing for people who come wearing sandals, tank tops or tights (those are against the dress code). We are also distributing water and loaning umbrellas to people who are sitting in the hot mid-afternoon sun, sometimes for hours.”

Advocates held an outreach campaign at the prison over the Independence Day holiday, greeting visitors with resources, water and some shade amid a record-setting heatwave.

“We continue to meet family members and loved ones of people in detention,” Pax Christi New Jersey reported Saturday.

“Today, we met a woman who was afraid that her husband would miss the birth of their baby,” the group shared. “She is due in mid-August. She and her husband are fortunate to have a lawyer. We met another woman today whose husband does not have an attorney. We did our best to connect her with resources.”

• See Related: NJ Mayor Sues Feds After Controversial Arrest Outside ICE Prison
• See Related: Accused Congresswoman Enters Plea After Clash Outside Delaney Hall
• See Related: Here’s How ICE Detainees Escaped Prison In New Jersey, Feds Say

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.