Overview
- Detainees at the 1,000‑bed Delaney Hall in Newark announced a coordinated hunger and labor strike on Friday to protest alleged poor food, limited medical care, lack of sanitation, and retaliation for organizing.
- Tensions escalated Monday when protesters and federal agents clashed outside the facility, with officials deploying pepper spray and pepper‑ball rounds to clear crowds that were blocking vehicle access.
- Attorneys and organizers say ICE transferred strike leader Martin Alonso Soto Hernandez overnight to the Elizabeth detention center and that he appeared emaciated when seen by lawyers.
- DHS and ICE publicly denied there is an active hunger strike and defended conditions at Delaney Hall, saying visitation was suspended out of caution while federal officials described some protesters as obstructing operations.
- The standoff has renewed political and legal fights over GEO Group’s multiyear contract to operate Delaney Hall and has intensified calls from New Jersey elected officials for independent inspections or closure, with potential oversight and legal consequences to follow.