Hunger Strike and Alleged Use of Pepper Spray at Delaney Hall Detention Center

In May 2026, detainees at the Delaney Hall immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey, began a hunger strike to protest overcrowded conditions, spoiled food, limited medical care and prolonged case delays. Detainees say ICE officers entered the dining hall, restrained a detainee, elbowed another, deployed pepper spray and fired rubber-ball projectiles, and subsequently raised the heating to “very high” temperatures.

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Delaney Hall is operated by the GEO Group under a contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). GEO asserts that its services—including 24-hour medical care, legal visitation, translation, and accredited health-care standards—are monitored by ICE and comply with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) quality-assurance plans. DHS officials have publicly stated that the center provides adequate food and sanitation and have denied that a hunger strike is occurring.

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• Detainees: Two men who provided detailed accounts of the confrontation.

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• ICE: Federal agency overseeing detention operations.

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• GEO Group: Private contractor managing the facility.

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• Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ): Visited the site, called for an independent DHS inspector-general review.

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• Sec. Markwayne Mullin: DHS secretary who defended the center’s conditions.

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• Civil-rights groups: ACLU and other advocates urging closure of the facility.

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• May 25, 2026 – Sen. Kim attempts to broker an agreement with ICE outside Delaney Hall.

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• May 28, 2026 – ICE agents stand guard as protests intensify.

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• May 29, 2026 – Demonstrators report pepper-spray projectiles; barricades erected.

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• May 31, 2026 – Sen. Kim appears on CNN, describing the situation as unprecedented instability.

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• Nine detainees reported injuries during the confrontation; one sustained a broken nose, another expelled foam from his mouth, and the remainder were soaked with pepper spray or struck by rubber balls.

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• Detainees described “very hot” indoor temperatures, “tasteless” food, “bad” water, chronic noise, and “very poor” medical care.

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The incident spotlights ongoing concerns about ICE detention standards, the role of private contractors, and the political pressure on federal authorities to ensure humane treatment of immigration detainees. Legislative and civil-society calls for an independent review could influence future detention policies.

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• GEO Group: “GEO categorically rejects these baseless allegations… We are proud of the role our company has played for 40 years to support the law-enforcement mission of the United States.”

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• DHS/ICE: Denied the existence of a hunger strike and any mistreatment, asserting that detainees receive adequate food, sanitation and medical services.

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• Sec. Markwayne Mullin: Characterized the facility as housing individuals accused or convicted of serious crimes and dismissed concerns about the strike.

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• Sen. Andy Kim: Called for a DHS inspector-general investigation and greater transparency, noting that “serious problems exist inside the detention center.”

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Detained migrants reported pepper-spray exposure, elevated heat, and inadequate basic services. The ACLU and other civil-rights organizations joined Sen. Kim, Sen. Cory Booker and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries in urging the shutdown of Delaney Hall and broader reforms of ICE detention practices.

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Eyewitness detainees recounted officers abruptly entering the dining hall, restraining individuals, and deploying chemical agents. Outside the facility, protestors assembled in large numbers, leading federal agents to install barricades and temporarily suspend family visitation, which was later partially restored.

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• DHS maintains that no hunger strike exists and that conditions meet standards.

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• Detainees assert a coordinated refusal to eat and describe violent suppression.

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• No independent third-party inspection has been conducted, leaving the factual status of the alleged pepper-spray incident and the extent of the hunger strike unverified.

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• “One of my companions was on the phone when one of the officials in charge of calls walked up and elbowed him in the face—right in front of me and everyone there.” — Detainee, Delaney Hall

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• “They closed off the dining hall, and we were choking from the pepper spray,” — Detainee, Delaney Hall

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• “The only thing we have done is decide not to go to eat,” — Detainee (Spanish interview)

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• “We are protesting so that we are given a real opportunity,” — Detainee, Delaney Hall

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The DHS inspector-general is expected to launch an inquiry into detention-center conditions. Lawmakers continue to press for possible closure of Delaney Hall, while advocacy groups plan further demonstrations to maintain public attention on detainee treatment.

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