Full Breakdown
Hunger Strike and Force-Feeding Threat at New Jersey’s Delaney Hall ICE Detention Center
5/28/2026, 1:18:20 AM
Core Event and Timeline
In early May 2026, about 300-400 detainees at Delaney Hall in Newark began a hunger and work strike over food, ventilation, medical care, and case delays. The protest started May 27; clashes erupted May 28 when ICE pepper-sprayed Sen. Andy Kim. On May 30, border czar Tom Homan said ICE would seek a court order to force-feed participants if physicians deemed them in extreme danger. The administration denied a strike on May 31.
Background & Statistics
Delaney Hall is a 1,000-bed, privately run ICE facility operated by the GEO Group under a 15-year, $1 billion contract signed in 2025. The center reopened in May 2025 after a legal battle that overturned a state ban on private immigration prisons. Fiscal 2026 has recorded 29 detainee deaths nationwide, exceeding the 2004 record of 28.
Why It Matters
The clash pits the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation push against New Jersey’s sanctuary stance. Democrats cite abuse in for-profit ICE detention; DHS calls the protests rioting. The dispute fuels debate over private contractors in immigration enforcement.
Official Statements & Responses
Tom Homan said ICE will force-feed detainees if medical danger is imminent and will keep arrests. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin asserted there is no hunger strike. Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis called the claims a political stunt by sanctuary politicians. Sen. Andy Kim called the day’s events shameful and called the facility a failure.
Criticism & Opposition
Gov. Mikie Sherrill, Sen. Andy Kim, Rep. Rob Menendez, Sen. Cory Booker and other New Jersey Democrats condemned the conditions, demanded inspections, and urged the center’s closure. Immigrant-rights groups such as the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice reported inhumane food, infestations, and untreated illnesses.
On-the-Ground Accounts
Former detainee Luis, released after three-and-a-half months, described rotten food and a profit-driven detention model. Protester Gabriela Soto said she was assaulted while trying to block a vehicle transporting her husband, Martin Soto, who was later transferred. Journalists documented multiple pepper-spray incidents and at least seven reporters being sprayed.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
ICE and DHS officials deny any hunger strike or substandard conditions, while detainees, their attorneys, and several Democratic lawmakers assert the opposite. Independent verification of medical-care standards and the exact number of participants remains unavailable.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Hunger strikes never work. We are not going to change what we do because someone goes on a hunger strike.” — Tom Homan, White House border czar.
- “This is nothing more than a political stunt by New Jersey sanctuary politicians for fundraising clicks,” — Lauren Bis, Acting Assistant Secretary, DHS.
- “There is NO hunger strike at Delaney Hall. There are no subprime conditions.” — Markwayne Mullin, Secretary of Homeland Security.
- “What I witnessed and experienced today was shameful.” — Andy Kim, U.S. Senator (D-NJ).
What’s Next
DHS has opened investigations into the protests, while New Jersey officials plan further oversight visits and have filed lawsuits seeking to end GEO Group’s contract. Congressional committees are slated to hold hearings on private ICE detention standards.
