NEWARK, N.J. – Democratic lawmakers took a stand on immigration enforcement this week, touring a federal detention center that’s been the focus of protests for months.
On Wednesday, U.S. Representative Adriano Espaillat, a longtime Democrat from Manhattan, walked through the conditions at the Delaney Hall ICE facility in Newark. He described the site’s use as “inhumane” and vowed that the center would be shut down. After about an hour‑long tour, Espaillat said, “We will shut this center down. We will shut it down.”
Rep. Jerry Nadler and Rep. Dan Goldman followed Espaillat’s lead, meeting with protesters and families of detainees outside the water‑line of the center. Goldman said, “We want to make sure the conditions here are going to be dealt with.” The lobby included more than 50 individuals holding signs that read “Stop Family Separation” and chanting “Free Them All.”
The protests, which began on Friday, have grown tense. The crowd clashed with armed ICE agents who pepper‑sprayed demonstrators and the agents themselves were filmed tackling civilians. A video posted by Senator Andy Kim shows pepper balls splashing into the crowd after a delegation—led by New Jersey governor Mikie Sherrill—was denied entry to the facility. Kim commented, “Instead of engaging with me and others about the poor conditions, ICE sent in an armored vehicle and a line of armed agents that only poured gasoline on the fire.”
Protests point to an ongoing hunger strike. Gabriela Soto, whose husband was among the detainees, told reporters that at first only a handful were refusing to eat, but today “every single detainee inside there is participating.” She wore a black shirt emblazoned with “Abolish ICE.”
Amol Sinha, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union in New Jersey, described “horror stories” of detainees, including pregnant women, who are not receiving adequate medical treatment. “Cruelty is the point,” Sinha said.
ICE representatives refused to comment. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the agency that oversees ICE, denied that a hunger strike – or any abuse – was underway and dismissed the criticisms as political posturing. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin told reporters, “The fact is, we’re giving them the calories they want. This isn’t Holiday Inn.”
President Donald Trump, a former advocate of hard‑line immigration enforcement, defended the facility on Wednesday. “We run the finest facilities anywhere in the world – of their type – but we have some horrible killers,” Trump said.
Delaney Hall, a private‑prison run facility located along Newark Bay, has become a flashpoint for protest since it opened last May. Earlier in the year, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and New Jersey Rep. LaMonica McIver were arrested during a protest.
The week’s events underline the growing frustration over ICE’s treatment of detainees and highlight the ongoing debate over family separation and the power of immigrant‑rights advocacy groups.
On Wednesday, U.S. Representative Adriano Espaillat, a longtime Democrat from Manhattan, walked through the conditions at the Delaney Hall ICE facility in Newark. He described the site’s use as “inhumane” and vowed that the center would be shut down. After about an hour‑long tour, Espaillat said, “We will shut this center down. We will shut it down.”
Rep. Jerry Nadler and Rep. Dan Goldman followed Espaillat’s lead, meeting with protesters and families of detainees outside the water‑line of the center. Goldman said, “We want to make sure the conditions here are going to be dealt with.” The lobby included more than 50 individuals holding signs that read “Stop Family Separation” and chanting “Free Them All.”
The protests, which began on Friday, have grown tense. The crowd clashed with armed ICE agents who pepper‑sprayed demonstrators and the agents themselves were filmed tackling civilians. A video posted by Senator Andy Kim shows pepper balls splashing into the crowd after a delegation—led by New Jersey governor Mikie Sherrill—was denied entry to the facility. Kim commented, “Instead of engaging with me and others about the poor conditions, ICE sent in an armored vehicle and a line of armed agents that only poured gasoline on the fire.”
Protests point to an ongoing hunger strike. Gabriela Soto, whose husband was among the detainees, told reporters that at first only a handful were refusing to eat, but today “every single detainee inside there is participating.” She wore a black shirt emblazoned with “Abolish ICE.”
Amol Sinha, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union in New Jersey, described “horror stories” of detainees, including pregnant women, who are not receiving adequate medical treatment. “Cruelty is the point,” Sinha said.
ICE representatives refused to comment. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the agency that oversees ICE, denied that a hunger strike – or any abuse – was underway and dismissed the criticisms as political posturing. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin told reporters, “The fact is, we’re giving them the calories they want. This isn’t Holiday Inn.”
President Donald Trump, a former advocate of hard‑line immigration enforcement, defended the facility on Wednesday. “We run the finest facilities anywhere in the world – of their type – but we have some horrible killers,” Trump said.
Delaney Hall, a private‑prison run facility located along Newark Bay, has become a flashpoint for protest since it opened last May. Earlier in the year, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and New Jersey Rep. LaMonica McIver were arrested during a protest.
The week’s events underline the growing frustration over ICE’s treatment of detainees and highlight the ongoing debate over family separation and the power of immigrant‑rights advocacy groups.
