Full Breakdown
Legal Battle and Protests Over Delaney Hall ICE Detention Center in Newark
6/2/2026, 10:11:01 PM
Escalating Legal and Protest Conflict
Newark’s 1,000-bed Delaney Hall, operated by the private GEO Group, has become the focus of a city- and state-led lawsuit demanding full health-department access, a curfew imposed by Mayor Ras Baraka, and repeated clashes between protesters, ICE agents and New Jersey State Police.
Background and Context
The facility reopened as an ICE detention center in May 2025 after a 2023 contract renewal. GEO Group, which runs 21 ICE sites and holds roughly 24,000 ICE detainees nationwide, has faced longstanding code-violation suits from Newark since 2025. The city alleges the operator failed to obtain proper state permits and is shielding itself behind a federal contract.
Timeline of Key Developments
- May 22, 2026 – Detainees begin a hunger and labor strike, according to representatives.
- May 29 – Gov. Mikie Sherrill deploys New Jersey State Police to the site.
- May 30 – Mayor Baraka announces a 9 p.m.–6 a.m. curfew covering a half-mile radius.
- June 1 – Border czar Tom Homan visits, eats the same meal as detainees.
- June 2 – State health department denied full inspection; city expands lawsuit to seek closure.
- June 3 – DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin issues a statement defending the right to peaceful protest.
Data and Statistics
- Facility capacity: 1,000 beds; ?300 detainees reported inside.
- GEO Group’s ICE portfolio: 21 facilities, ?24,000 detainees.
- Arrests linked to curfew violations range from 29 (state report) to 61 (media estimate).
- GEO Group’s 2025 contract value cited as $1 billion.
Official Statements and Responses
Mayor Baraka said the city will “expand … our lawsuit … beyond code-enforcement violations” and that “the greatest ability to close the building is GEO Group.” Gov. Sherrill justified the state-police deployment, called for “calm,” and warned she will not give ICE a pretext to expand operations. DHS Secretary Mullin affirmed support for “every American’s constitutional right to peacefully protest” while condemning “riot and assault” of law-enforcement. A DHS spokesperson rejected the hunger-strike claim, stating the facility “complies with all required state and local laws” and that meals are “certified by dietitians.” GEO Group asserted its services are “monitored by ICE” and that it provides “around-the-clock medical care, family visitation and dietitian-approved meals.” Border czar Homan reported eating the same food as detainees and described it as “good,” adding that officials had not provided specific examples of abuse.
Criticism and Opposition
Sen. Cory Booker called the GEO Group contract “an insult to immigrant communities.” Sen. Andy Kim labeled the detention system “fundamentally broken” and urged congressional action. Rep. Robert Menendez described the reported conditions as “unacceptable” and called for broader reform of ICE facilities.
Conflicting Reports and Gaps
- DHS denies any hunger strike, while detainees and their attorneys assert a strike began on May 22.
- Baraka cites “spoiled food” and “unsanitary conditions”; Homan and DHS claim meals are safe and nutrition-approved.
- Arrest counts vary (29, 50, 61) across sources, and the exact number of detainees inside Delaney Hall is reported as “?300” versus “300 inhabitants” in other accounts.
- No independent third-party inspection has been granted, leaving verification of conditions pending.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Our objective is to close the building,” — Ras Baraka, Newark Mayor
- “We support every Americans constitutional right to peacefully protest. No one has the right to RIOT and ASSAULT law enforcement,” — Markwayne Mullin, DHS Secretary
- “Immigration enforcement in this country – it should be fair, just and humane, and nothing that we saw at Delaney Hall or that people have previously experienced at Delaney Hall suggest that that is what is taking place,” — Hakeem Jeffries, House Minority Leader
- “If the GEO Group — with a $1 billion government contract — has nothing to hide and the conditions inside Delaney Hall are as safe and as sanitary as this private corporation and the Trump Administration claim, then there is no legitimate reason why my health inspectors are being kept from full access throughout the building,” — Mikie Sherrill, New Jersey Governor
- “In a statement, the company said it provides around-the-clock medical care, family visitation and dietitian-approved meals, including religious and specialty diets.” — GEO Group spokesperson
- “The food was good.” — Tom Homan, DHS Border Czar
Why It Matters
The dispute spotlights the tension between federal immigration enforcement, private-sector detention contracts, and state/local authority to enforce health and safety standards—issues that could reshape how ICE facilities operate nationwide.
What’s Next
A court hearing on the expanded lawsuit is scheduled for later June, and DHS Secretary Mullin is slated to testify before the Senate Appropriations Committee on the agency’s budget and detention policies.
