Protests at Delaney Hall Escalate Amid Access Denial to Governor

Protests continued to grow on Monday at Delaney Hall, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Newark, New Jersey. Tensions rose after Gov. Mikie Sherrill was denied access to the facility. ICE agents, clad in riot gear, arrived to manage the protesters blocking the entrance and seeking information on detainee treatment.

Protesters, some wielding objects, confronted the agents. The agents responded with pepper spray as protesters sought to form a human chain at Delaney Hall’s exit. A military-style vehicle attempted to leave but faced resistance when protesters refused to budge, with some again hurling objects.

U.S. Senator Andy Kim tried to calm the situation by asking the protesters to cease interacting with the agents. Earlier, he had entered Delaney Hall alongside a congressional group, stating, “You see how much that they are trying to hide what’s happening here, intentionally trying to do that.” Meanwhile, family members of detainees have been protesting since Friday, claiming poor conditions and inadequate medical care for their relatives. A new group of protesters joined the demonstration on Monday.

As night fell, activists moved concrete and barricades to block another entrance, repurposing materials from dumpsters. Gov. Sherrill had joined the protesters earlier, although the situation was less volatile then. “My request for access to Delaney Hall was formally denied this morning, raising serious questions about what they are trying to hide from public view,” Sherrill expressed.

“I have long opposed private detention facilities and will continue to advocate for the closure of Delaney Hall and against any expansion of mass detention facilities in New Jersey, like the proposed facility in Roxbury,” Sherrill stated.

Sherrill, along with congressional members, was not allowed entry. Outside the facility, she conversed with relatives, including Gabriela Soto, a pregnant woman seeking her husband’s release. “They lied to him. They told him he was getting released and I witnessed him getting kidnapped, shoved, and thrown in a van,” Soto revealed.

In response to Soto’s allegations, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that the man, identified as an “illegal alien” charged with assault, was scheduled for transfer to another ICE facility but was obstructed by agitators.

“Governor Sherrill’s visit to Delaney Hall is nothing more than a political stunt on Memorial Day,” a DHS spokesperson claimed, noting that visitation is currently suspended due to protests outside the facility.

DHS highlighted that U.S. Representative Andy Kim was permitted entry to perform congressional duties. It assured that detainees received meals, clean water, essentials, health services, and access to communication with family and legal representatives. Congressman Robert Menendez Jr. expressed skepticism about ICE’s claims, stating, “There is nothing that ICE says that you should believe, and anything they say you should doubt immediately.”

Timeline of Events

• Friday: About 300 detainees initiated a hunger strike, alleging inhumane conditions. Protesters gathered outside in solidarity.
• Saturday: Protests persisted. Andy Kim and Rep. Robert Menendez Jr. visited the site.
• Sunday: Gabriela Soto received news of her husband’s alleged release, only to witness him being placed in a van. Soto accused authorities of retaliation against her protests. ICE reported the relocation of Martin Soto Hernandez to another facility.
• Monday: An early morning scuffle ensued between ICE agents and activists. Politicians, including Menendez and Rep. Analilia Mejia, attended the site alongside others such as Kim and Rep. Nellie Pou, as protesters continued their vigil.