On Monday, tensions flared as demonstrators and law enforcement faced off outside a New Jersey detention center. The facility has come under fire from critics who claim it houses undocumented immigrants in dire conditions.
Activists endeavored to block the entrance to Delaney Hall in Newark by forming a human chain. New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill sought entry into the facility but was reportedly denied, according to local news outlets.
“This morning, my formal request to access Delaney Hall was denied, which raises significant concerns about what they might be concealing from the public,” Sherrill stated, as reported by Patch.
The governor has been a vocal opponent of privately run detention centers, expressing a steadfast commitment to advocating for the shutdown of Delaney Hall. Sherrill also opposes the expansion of mass detention sites in the state, including a proposed facility in Roxbury.
SECURITY TIGHTENS AT NEW JERSEY ICE FACILITY AMID PROTESTER CONFRONTATIONS
A surveillance camera is visible outside Delaney Hall, a detention center managed by GEO Group for Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Newark, N.J., captured on May 10, 2025. (Bing Guan/Reuters)
Some protesters threw water and yelled at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, who were seen detaining several demonstrators, WPIX-TV reported.
Protesters and onlookers were heard screaming at ICE agents, who ordered the crowd to move to a grassy area off the road. Agents and protesters stood face-to-face before the situation calmed down.
“No more ICE!” protesters chanted. Others shouted, “Free them all!”
ICE FACILITY DEMOCRATS ‘STORMED’ HOLDS CHILD RAPISTS, MURDERERS: OFFICIALS
Protesters block vehicles from entering or leaving the Delaney Hall ICE facility in Newark, New Jersey, on June 12, 2025, following the reported escape of four migrants. On Monday, protesters clashed with ICE agents amid a demonstration outside the facility. (Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu)
Meanwhile, hundreds of detainees inside have launched a hunger and labor strike, as advocates allege they live in poor conditions and are denied medical treatment and visits. In a group letter released last week, nearly 300 detainees said they live in “inhumane” conditions, citing bad food and medical neglect.
The letter acknowledged that they entered the United States illegally, noting that they now feel “kidnapped.”
“Initially, we ask for forgiveness for the way we entered the United States, but given the circumstances we were living in our countries, which placed our lives and those of some members of our families in danger,” the letter states. “We feel vulnerable and, in a way, kidnapped—detained without justification—not to mention that we are being tortured physically and psychologically due to the poor food resources provided in these detention centers.”
A DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital that all detainees are provided with three meals a day, clean water, clothing, bedding, showers, soap, and toiletries.
“Illegal aliens also have access to phones to communicate with their family members and lawyers, the spokesperson said. “Certified dieticians evaluate meals. In fact, ICE has higher detention standards than most U.S. prisons that hold actual U.S. citizens.”
Family members and loved ones have been holding a vigil outside the facility since Friday.
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill and U.S. Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., seen outside the Delaney Hall center on Monday. Democrats have called for the detention facility to be shut down amid allegations of poor living conditions for the illegal immigrants inside. (Sen. Andy Kim ; X)
In February 2025, then-Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the facility was housing “murderers, terrorists, child rapists and MS-13 gang members.”
Several elected officials have recently visited the facility or called for its closure, including Sen. Andy Kim and Reps. Rob Menendez Jr., Nellie Pou, LaMonica McIver, Analilia Mejia, and Frank Pallone Jr.
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