Democratic lawmakers entered Delaney Hall on Wednesday, escorted by local officials, after weeks of protests outside the complex’s security gate. Rep. Jerry Nadler described the food “as very often” infested with maggots and noted that the only medication detainees receive is Tylenol, with no treatment for serious illnesses. He said a woman detained at the center has a breast lump and has been waiting over a month for a mammogram, while another detainee with colon cancer is not receiving any treatment.
Rep. Dan Goldman emphasized that the people held in the facility are not criminals, adding that they are “living in jail conditions.” Rep. Adriano Espaillat called the conditions “inhumane” after spending about an hour inside the detention center and pledged, “We will shut this center down.” The lawmakers addressed crowds of protesters and family members gathered outside, where more than 50 demonstrators held signs reading “Stop Family Separation” and chanted “Free Them All,” while some shouted at the helmet‑wearing ICE officers standing guard.
The protests, which began Friday, have at times turned tense. On Monday, Sen. Andy Kim and Gov. Mikie Sherrill led a delegation that was denied entry; ICE officers used an armored vehicle, pepper‑sprayed the group, and fired “pepper balls” into the crowd. Kim later posted on social media that “civilians were tackled and restrained, and agents fired pepper balls and spray into the crowd.”
Family members of detainees claim that the hunger strike has spread throughout the facility. Gabriela Soto, whose husband participated in the strike before being moved, said, “Every single detainee inside there is participating.” The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey’s executive director Amol Sinha warned that “hunger strike” is a symptom of “cruelty.” DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin rejected the allegations, saying, “We’re giving them the calories they want. This isn’t a Holiday Inn.” In a follow‑up statement, DHS labeled two protesters arrested after an “unknown chemical substance” was sprayed on ICE officers as “rioters” and vowed to restore “law and order.”
President Donald Trump defended the center’s operations during a Cabinet meeting, asserting, “We run the finest facilities anywhere in the world of their type.” The center, a privately‑run 1,000‑bed facility along Newark Bay, has long been a flashpoint for immigrant‑rights advocates and ICE officials. Local officials, including Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, were among those arrested during earlier protests when the center opened in May.