Protesters clash outside Newark detention center over alleged inhumane conditions

Delaney Hall in Newark turned into a flashpoint on Saturday as anti-ICE demonstrators, pro-ICE counterprotesters and heavy police lines surrounded the 1,000-bed immigration detention center over allegations that conditions inside have become intolerable.

Advocates outside the facility said detainees began a hunger strike on May 22 and later expanded it into a work strike, with about 300 people participating. The complaints centered on food and hygiene, including reports of rotten frozen meals, unsanitary conditions and limited contact with family members and lawyers. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and The GEO Group have disputed or denied the allegations.

The pressure on Delaney Hall has grown quickly because the center itself is new in its current form. ICE announced on February 26, 2025, that it would reopen the Newark facility after reaching an agreement with GEO Group, and the company later said the 15-year contract was expected to generate more than $60 million in annualized revenue in its first full year of operations. That arrangement has put a private prison company at the center of one of New Jersey’s most visible immigration battles.

The protest scene outside the facility escalated through the week and spilled into clashes on Saturday. At least six protesters were arrested after a confrontation with ICE officers outside the detention center, and New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill sent state police to set up designated protest zones and vehicle checkpoints around the site. The response reflected how quickly the dispute around detainee treatment has spread beyond the walls of Delaney Hall and into a broader fight over immigration enforcement in Newark and Essex County.

Lawmakers have also pressed for access. U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillat entered the facility and later described the conditions inside as “inhumane” after spending about an hour there, according to reporting cited by advocates and officials. His comments added to mounting pressure on ICE and GEO Group as immigrant-rights groups, faith leaders and family members continue to demand answers about what detainees are experiencing inside the 1,000-bed center. The clashes outside may fade, but the allegations inside Delaney Hall are now driving the fight.