Homan defends conditions at New Jersey ICE detention center as lawsuit grows
Homan said Delaney Hall’s food was “fine,” but New Jersey is now suing for full access after inspectors were blocked from the medical and sleeping areas.
Tom Homan’s brief walk-through of Delaney Hall has not settled the broader fight over what is happening inside New Jersey’s largest ICE detention center. The White House border czar visited the Newark facility unannounced on Saturday, ate the same meal and portions as detainees, and, one source told NBC News, said the food was “fine.” What remains at issue is not Homan’s account alone, but whether state inspectors, detainees and outside observers can verify conditions in parts of the building that New Jersey has not been allowed to see.
New Jersey officials said health inspectors were permitted a limited inspection on Thursday, May 28, 2026, but were blocked from crucial areas including the medical unit, sleeping quarters and bathing and toileting spaces. On June 2, New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport filed suit against The GEO Group, which operates Delaney Hall, seeking full access for the state Department of Health. Gov. Mikie Sherrill said there was “no legitimate reason” to keep inspectors out if the company and the Trump administration were correct about conditions, while Health Commissioner Raynard E. Washington said inspections are needed to prevent disease and protect food and water safety.
The state’s legal push has grown alongside mounting complaints from detainees and advocates. More than 300 women and men held at Delaney Hall reportedly began a hunger and labor strike on May 22, citing medical neglect, lack of sanitation, spoiled food, denial of bond and pressure to sign deportation-related documents. Protesters outside the facility have echoed those complaints, saying detainees are being served inedible food and denied proper medical care.
Democratic lawmakers have also described alarming conditions after visiting or commenting on the site. Rep. Jerry Nadler said detainees were receiving small food portions that very often contained maggots and that Tylenol was the only medication provided. The Department of Homeland Security has rejected those claims, calling the lawsuit frivolous and saying Delaney Hall complies with state and local law. DHS said ICE is regularly audited and inspected by outside agencies and that detainees receive proper meals, water, blankets, medical treatment and access to family members and lawyers.
The dispute has spilled into the streets of Newark, where Mayor Ras Baraka imposed a nightly curfew around Delaney Hall after clashes between protesters and law enforcement. State Police were assigned to the area by Sherrill, and officials said tires and chairs were set on fire, makeshift projectiles were thrown and police shields were used as weapons. Protesters and counter-protesters, including members of the Proud Boys, gathered outside the site, and a WNBC reporter and photojournalists covering the demonstrations were ordered out of their news van and ended up in tear gas.
The fight over Delaney Hall is now colliding with an older legal battle. Newark sued GEO Group in April 2025 over modifications to the facility without required state oversight, and Baraka has said the city could expand that case to seek closure if inspectors keep being denied full access. With the facility described as New Jersey’s largest ICE detention center, and in some reporting as one of the largest immigration detention sites in the country with more than 1,000 beds, the question is no longer simply what one official saw on a visit, but who gets to inspect the rest.
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