Visitor Dress Code Enforcement at Delaney Hall ICE Detention Center

Since opening in May 2025, the Delaney Hall detention facility in Newark, New Jersey, has applied a visitor dress code that bans leggings, open-toed shoes, revealing tops, short dresses and other items deemed “provocative.” Guards have repeatedly denied entry to families, including toddlers, for violations such as a four-year-old’s leggings or an infant’s onesie.

The Guardian

The Geo Group operates the facility under contract with ICE. New Jersey’s attorney general sued to expand state health-inspector access after reports of unsanitary food handling and inadequate tuberculosis infection control. Demonstrations outside the gate have coincided with claims of a detainee hunger strike, which DHS denies.

The Guardian

More than ten documented rejections of Gabriela Soto’s family have been reported. On 28 April alone, guards turned away over a dozen visitors, five of them for prohibited footwear. Visitor Valeria notes roughly ten denials in a single month, while activists have recorded similar patterns across multiple families.

The Guardian

DHS says health inspectors have been granted access and that no hunger strike is occurring. ICE states that all visitors must follow the dress code, describing it as a safety measure that complies with national detention standards. The Geo Group has referred all media inquiries to ICE.

The Guardian

Activists call the policy “unusually cruel and invasive,” saying it separates families and pressures detainees toward voluntary departure. Pax Christi USA activist Kathy O’Leary called the rules “weird,” noting nearby ICE facilities enforce only modest uniform standards. #EyesOnIce volunteers set up clothing bins at the gate, letting rejected visitors borrow attire.

The Guardian

Gabriela Soto’s four-year-old was denied entry for leggings and her infant’s onesie was also rejected. A 16-year-old visitor was turned away for a knee-length black smock dress that met her school uniform. Daphinne Bazzoni was barred for off-white Crocs, while Isaias Felix and his wife were rejected for shorts and a bodysuit.

The Guardian

ICE’s guidelines state the dress code applies only to visitors 12 years and older, yet multiple families report younger children being turned away. DHS denies a hunger strike, while protestors cite eyewitness accounts of detainee fasting. The policy’s reference to “gang colors” remains undefined, leaving enforcement criteria unclear.

The Guardian

• “How is that provocative if she’s only four years old?” — Gabriela Soto, visitor.

The Guardian

• “Delaney Hall is weird.” — Kathy O’Leary, Pax Christi USA activist.

The Guardian

• “I could wear these pants for a week, and out of nowhere, they’re like, ‘You cannot come in this,’” — Valeria, mother.

The Guardian

• “I feel a little offended. We’re already going through a hard time,” — Isaias Felix, visitor.

The Guardian

New Jersey’s lawsuit seeks broader health-inspector oversight. #EyesOnIce will keep providing clothing, and protest groups plan additional rallies. ICE has offered no indication of revising the dress-code policy, leaving families to navigate an uncertain visitation landscape.

The Guardian