Sherrill blocked from Newark ICE jail amid detainee hunger strike

Federal authorities blocked Gov. Mikie Sherrill from entering Delaney Hall in Newark on Monday, even as detainees inside escalated a hunger and labor strike over conditions they said were unsafe, inhumane and unconstitutional.

Sherrill tried to visit the 1,000-bed Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility while detainees entered the fourth day of their protest, which began Friday morning, May 22, 2026. About 300 detainees were reported to be involved, and roughly 300 people protested outside the jail as advocates pressed for access and answers about what was happening inside.

Sherrill said she had contacted federal immigration authorities to demand entry. In a Saturday statement from the New Jersey Governor’s Office, she said she was “deeply disturbed” by reports from Delaney Hall and would continue pushing for humane conditions and the closure of the facility. She also said she has long opposed private detention facilities.

The dispute has sharpened the larger fight over who can inspect immigration detention conditions in New Jersey and how much power state officials have over a federal jail run by a private company. Delaney Hall reopened for ICE use in February 2025 after an agreement with the facility’s owner, and GEO Group operates the jail under a reported long-term private contract.

The protest drew an increasingly broad political coalition. U.S. Sen. Andy Kim, Rep. Rob Menendez, Rep. LaMonica McIver, Rep. Nellie Pou, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and activist Analilia Mejia were among those associated with the response, alongside New Jersey immigrant-rights advocates. Their focus has been on the allegations coming from inside Delaney Hall: spoiled or poor food, inadequate medical care, threats and limited access to legal counsel.

The confrontation lands in the middle of a broader state-federal clash over immigration enforcement. Sherrill signed legislation in March 2026 aimed at restricting certain state and local cooperation with federal immigration authorities, adding another layer to her clash with the Trump administration over detention and deportation policy.

For Newark, the fight over Delaney Hall has become a test of transparency as much as enforcement. With detainees still striking and state officials denied entry, the questions around conditions inside the jail are now central to a widening battle over oversight, private detention and the limits of federal power in New Jersey.