Newark, New Jersey — New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said Monday she was denied entry to the Delaney Hall ICE detention facility in Newark as protests and a detainee hunger strike intensified outside and inside the center.
Sherrill joined several Democratic lawmakers, including Sen. Andy Kim and Reps. Rob Menendez Jr., Nellie Pou, and LaMonica McIver, outside the privately operated detention facility after demonstrators clashed with federal officers over the weekend. Protesters alleged some participants were pepper-sprayed by ICE personnel during confrontations Sunday.
The demonstrations began after detainees inside Delaney Hall reportedly launched a hunger and labor strike involving roughly 300 individuals protesting facility conditions. Organizers and family members accused ICE officials of mistreatment, poor living conditions, and isolating detainees involved in the protest.
Sherrill criticized ICE officials for denying access to elected officials conducting oversight visits and questioned what authorities were “trying to hide from public view.” She also reiterated her opposition to private detention centers and called for the closure of Delaney Hall.
Advocates and lawmakers described conditions inside the facility as “deplorable,” while detainees reportedly demanded the release of elderly and medically vulnerable individuals.
ICE and the Department of Homeland Security had not publicly responded to the allegations as of Monday afternoon.
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