Additional Coverage:
- Mass hunger strike rocks New Jersey ICE facility as detainees complain of spoiled and rotten food (themirror.com)
A hunger strike has erupted at an ICE detention center in New Jersey, as detainees protest poor conditions, including spoiled food and insufficient medical care.
Outside Delaney Hall over the Memorial Day weekend, dozens of protesters gathered, waving signs, beating drums, and chanting “Free them all!” Among them was Democratic Governor Mikie Sherrill, who expressed frustration after being denied access to the facility.
“No matter your immigration status, everyone deserves to be treated with dignity in this country,” Sherrill said.
Dressed casually in jeans and a jacket, Sherrill moved through the crowd, comforting emotional family members and children. However, after her departure, tensions escalated sharply. ICE agents clashed with protesters blocking an entrance, deploying pepper balls and spray-impacting even Senator Andy Kim (D-N.J.), who was attempting to calm the situation.
Delaney Hall, a privately operated facility with roughly 1,000 beds, houses hundreds of immigrants detained from New York City and the Northeast amid intensified enforcement efforts. On Monday, Sherrill, Kim, Newark Mayor Ras J.
Baraka, and other Democratic officials visited the center amid growing concern over the hunger strike, which began Friday and involves hundreds of detainees. The strike is also accompanied by a labor protest.
Detainees are calling for an investigation into the detention center’s management and pushed for Sherrill to engage directly with them to discuss protections from ICE. The governor stated she had reached out to ICE for entry and was working to ensure humane treatment.
Some protesters criticized Sherrill for not arriving sooner, pointing out that other officials, such as Representative Rob Menendez, had been on-site earlier. Menendez stayed overnight Sunday and was allowed into the facility Monday morning, where he heard distressing accounts from detainees.
Among the stories he shared: a young woman detained before attending her high school graduation, a pregnant detainee struggling to access adequate medical care, and a man who showed Menendez spoiled milk being distributed as part of the rations.
Sherrill also heard from relatives outside the center, including Angela Martinez, whose cousin with diabetes has been unreachable and may not be receiving necessary medication.
Her visit lasted about an hour, but as she left, protesters jeered and tried to block her vehicle.
Later, the situation intensified when ICE vehicles approached the south entrance of Delaney Hall, where a group of protesters attempted to block all access points, fearing detainees might be transferred elsewhere in retaliation for the strike.
ICE agents forcibly removed seated protesters, including dragging a man by his scarf, even as demonstrators linked arms and chanted against the Trump administration. A military-style vehicle, with an armed individual visible on top, advanced toward the crowd.
Senator Kim, who had toured inside the facility, joined the protesters outside to support them. ICE agents eventually retreated slightly, but the confrontation escalated again, leading to Kim being pepper-sprayed as agents used pepper balls and mace on the crowd.
Kim described the situation as deteriorating and said he was working to de-escalate tensions, pushing for family visitation rights to be reinstated as early as Tuesday.
The hunger strike and ongoing protests highlight deep concerns over the treatment of detainees and call attention to conditions within immigration detention facilities in the region.