The hunger strike and work stoppage at Delaney Hall, a migrant detention center located in Newark, continues to fuel political and humanitarian tensions in New Jersey. The protest was confirmed by legislators who visited the facility and heard directly from several detainees, according to reporting by Gothamist.
Senator Andy Kim and Representative Rob Menendez conducted an oversight visit to the facility, where detainees began the protest Friday morning. The immigrants are demanding better detention conditions and are calling for real progress toward their release or fair review of their cases. The visit occurred as family members and activists demonstrated outside the building demanding the center’s closure.
The scene revealed two opposing narratives about the same crisis. On one hand, legislators and family members described an active and sustained protest. On the other, a statement attributed to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the parent agency of ICE, stated that “there is currently no hunger strike at Delaney Hall.” This difference is significant because ICE does not typically formally recognize a hunger strike until it exceeds 72 hours.
What are detainees at Delaney Hall denouncing?
The complaints did not begin this week. Since its reopening in 2025, several detainees have reported poor quality food, insufficient medical access, and systematic barriers to exercising their right to due process. In early May, an open letter signed by 300 detainees insisted that the immigration system is denying them basic guarantees and prolonging detention without clear answers.
The accusations also extend to families. Gabriela Soto, 28, stated that her husband, Martin Soto, detained at Delaney Hall since February, has been pressured by center staff. According to her testimony, there were also threats regarding her visitation rights and questioning about the protests she organizes outside the facility. The accusation points to possible indirect retaliation against family members visible in activism.
Rob Menendez said he was concerned about the possibility that ICE might attempt to pressure the hunger strikers. The congressman stated that a hunger strike is a powerful form of protest, but also highly vulnerable against an authority with extensive control over the daily lives of detainees. That observation escalates the debate, because it converts a humanitarian protest into a dispute over transparency, oversight, and the limits of institutional power.
Why is the center back at the center of the immigration debate?
Delaney Hall is not just any detention center. Its operation is linked to the federal immigration detention system and the participation of a private company, GEO Group, a model that has faced strong public criticism for years. Both ICE and GEO Group have rejected allegations about retaliation and poor conditions, according to Gothamist reporting. However, persistent allegations have reopened the debate over the use of private centers to detain migrants.
