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House Democrats Hold Newark Forum to Spotlight Conditions at Delaney Hall

The forum raises pressure for a court-ordered health inspection that could force closure of the privately run center.

Overview

  • Democratic members of the House Homeland Security Committee held a public forum in Newark on Wednesday to hear testimony about conditions at Delaney Hall and to press for greater oversight.
  • Lawmakers who visited the facility said staff blocked direct talks with detainees by requiring a privacy release form during their inspection visit.
  • New Jersey’s attorney general has sued GEO Group seeking immediate entry for a full health inspection of Delaney Hall after reports that the operator barred state inspectors.
  • Detainees and advocates report a coordinated labor and hunger strike over spoiled food, poor sanitation, and gaps in medical care while DHS and GEO Group deny an organized strike and defend conditions.
  • Protests outside the center have produced repeated clashes with law enforcement, a local curfew and more than 80 arrests, and a separate investigation is underway into an incident where an ICE agent was struck by a vehicle in Manahawkin.