Overview
- The unrest began last Friday when detainees and advocates published a letter saying roughly 300 people inside Delaney Hall launched a hunger and labor strike to protest spoiled food, poor medical care, and crowded conditions.
- Governor Mikie Sherrill ordered the New Jersey State Police on Friday to assume public‑safety operations, set up designated protest zones and vehicle checkpoints, and state officials said ICE agreed to withdraw from the immediate perimeter.
- Despite the new security posture, clashes and arrests continued late Friday as officers used mounted units, shields, pepper spray and less‑lethal munitions to clear paths for vehicles and separate opposing crowds.
- State and federal authorities disagree over inspection access: New Jersey officials say health inspectors were denied full entry, DHS says inspectors viewed the kitchen, and the results of any review have not been publicly released.
- The privately run, 1,000‑bed GEO Group facility has become a political flashpoint that could prompt independent investigations or pressure to close the center, and detainees’ allegations about food and care remain central to ongoing protests and oversight disputes.