NEWARK, N.J. — Relatives of immigrants detained at Delaney Hall, a privately-run ICE facility in Newark, described distressing accounts of medical neglect, inedible food, and withheld care as a detainee hunger and labor strike entered its third week, according to interviews with The Guardian.
Elder Guerra, a Guatemalan immigrant who has been held at the facility for nearly five months, was showering in mid-May when he slipped and fell, slamming the back of his head against the floor and losing consciousness, according to an anonymous relative who said he received accounts from other detainees. The relative said Guerra began having a seizure and that fellow detainees pleaded with guards to call an ambulance. Guerra was taken to a hospital that same week and placed in a medical isolation cell back at Delaney Hall.
“It’s been almost three weeks and he’s getting worse,” the relative told The Guardian, requesting anonymity for fear of retaliation by ICE. “His head hurts. When he looks at the light, it bothers him, he gets fatigued. When he looks at a television screen, he feels dizzy. When he stands up and wants to walk, he gets dizzy.”
The relative said Guerra is beginning to lose hearing in his left ear and said he needed medical attention. He recalled visiting his family member after the fall, describing a conversation through tears. “He kept telling me, ‘Help me. I need to leave here,’” the relative said. “But I told him, ‘I can’t do anything, because it’s not in my hands.’”
Rep. LaMonica McIver said Guerra and another man were being held inside medical isolation cells at Delaney Hall. A third detainee in that unit who uses a wheelchair was released on June 5.
The Delaney Hall facility, opened last year by the GEO Group, has faced repeated accusations of substandard medical care, inedible food, and neglectful guards. Multiple oversight visits by members of Congress have found conditions consistent with those allegations, according to accounts from the lawmakers.
Detainees inside Delaney Hall released their fourth public letter on May 31, repeating claims about conditions since their strike began on May 22. “The conditions in this prison are not fit for human beings over such a long period of time: medical neglect, water unfit for consumption, food that is past its expiration date and in poor condition, bathrooms that are unusable, and ventilation systems that have never been maintained and because of this, we are constantly sick,” the letter read. “We demand freedom, a fair trial, and for our rights to be respected.”
The earlier letters demanded a meeting with New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill — who has faced backlash over the state police response to protests — the release of sick and elderly detainees, faster immigration case processing, and a stop to alleged pressure to sign voluntary deportation documents.
As of mid-March, 88% of immigrants detained at Delaney Hall had no criminal conviction, according to a review of ICE data by Austin Kocher, an assistant research professor at Syracuse University. Kocher said just over 70% had no criminal history whatsoever, and those who did were mostly charged with low-level offenses.
In response to the allegations, a GEO Group spokesperson said the company “strongly refutes these allegations” and described services that include “around-the-clock access to medical care, in-person and virtual legal and family visitation, general and legal library access, translation services, dietician-approved meals, religious and specialty diets, recreational amenities, and opportunities to practice their religious beliefs.”
GEO Group referred questions about Guerra’s case to the Department of Homeland Security, which did not respond to detailed requests for comment from The Guardian.
Gabriela Soto, whose husband Martin was detained at Delaney and participated in the strike, said she began organizing protests outside the facility after hearing accounts of conditions, including reports that detainees were served worms on their plates. “It got me so pissed that I needed to do something. We needed their voices to be heard, which is why the protest started in the first place,” Soto said.
On May 24, when lawmakers and Gov. Sherrill arrived for an oversight visit, ICE officers pepper-sprayed protesters — including U.S. Sen. Andy Kim — who attempted to prevent the transfer of Martin Soto to another facility, according to accounts. The transfer drew more protesters to Delaney Hall.
Government officials including ICE officers, New Jersey state police, and Newark police have responded to demonstrations with pepper spray, tasers, tear gas, and arrests, according to witnesses.
MSI previously reported that police blocked press access to the protests and arrested three journalists on June 3, that family visitation was partly restored on May 31 after a week of restrictions, and that Newark Mayor imposed a curfew around the facility on June 1 amid ongoing clashes between protesters and law enforcement.
Guerra’s relative said he has not visited since visitation was reintroduced May 31, citing nervousness about providing full names for an entry list he feared would be shared with ICE. “What is happening is inhumane,” he said. “They [officials] should have mercy, they’re human beings.”