Statements from two of the top officials overseeing Donald Trump’s migration policy have intensified the controversy surrounding the Delaney Hall detention center in New Jersey. Detained migrants report poor conditions, lack of hygiene and insufficient food within the ICE-operated facilities.
While activists and Democratic lawmakers maintain that several detainees have been on a hunger strike since Friday, officials from the Trump administration rejected the accusations. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin downplayed the protests and claimed that those refusing food do so because they demand “ethnic food.”
“Well, they can go back to their country and get whatever food they want,” Mullin told reporters during a cabinet meeting at the White House this Wednesday. “The fact is we are providing them with the calories they need. This is not a luxury hotel,” the federal official added.
What does Secretary Mullin say about the hunger strike?
The Delaney Hall center has a capacity of 1,000 people, although it currently houses approximately 300 detainees, according to figures from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Mullin stated that authorities are meeting basic nutritional requirements for detainees. Human rights organizations criticized his stance.
Mullin’s statements came a day after Tom Homan, the White House’s border policy official, warned that migrants on hunger strike could be force-fed. Homan argued that this would occur if authorities determine that detainees’ health is in danger.
“Hunger strikes never work. We are not going to change what we do because someone goes on a hunger strike,” Homan stated during an interview on Fox News. The official added that if the situation worsens, the Government will seek a court order to intervene and feed the strikers.
What are lawmakers denouncing about conditions at Delaney Hall?
The conflict surrounding the migrant center intensified over the weekend, when protests were registered outside Delaney Hall and two people were arrested. During the disturbances, Senator Andy Kim was hit with pepper spray. The incident was reported by local and national media.
