4 migrants escape Newark Delaney Hall ICE facility during revolt

NEWARK, NJ - Four men escaped the Delaney Hall ICE detention center in Newark, New Jersey, Thursday as dozens of migrant detainees reportedly staged a revolt.

Who escaped Delaney Hall?

The Department of Homeland Security is offering $10,000 for information leading to the arrest of the "four dangerous criminal illegal aliens" who escaped from the facility Thursday. They are:

Andres Pineda-Mogollon

Joan Sebastian Castaneda-Lozada

Joel Enrique Sandoval-Lopez

Franklin Norberto Bautista-Reyes

DHS did not specify how the detainees escaped.

What happened Thursday night?

What we know:

ICE officials have been holding migrants facing deportation at Delaney Hall. According to a lawyer who spoke with NJ.com, the inmates banded together and pushed down a dormitory wall to break free, all while protesters were gathered outside the facility. 

Meanwhile, a manhunt is underway for four people who are still on the run. The New York Post reports that the detainees created a rope out of bedsheets, which they used to descend from their third floor dorm.

Earlier in the day, around three dozen people held a demonstration outside the facility protesting allegations of poor conditions inside. Amy Torres, executive director with the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, said that a dispute broke out after meals were delivered late.

"New Jersey has a nonprofit-run rapid response line and one of the volunteers who staffs that line received a call from inside Delaney Hall," Torres said. "The fight was over the fact that people had not been given food for over 20 hours. When people started protesting over lunch, that's when things escalated with guards inside and the facility went into lockdown."

Sen. Andy Kim, D-NJ, reported conversations with senior leadership at Delaney Hall and ICE officials, confirming issues such as delayed and small meal portions. 

DHS denies that a revolt took place and denied that the detainees were housed in unseemly conditions: "Contrary to current reporting, there has been no widespread unrest at the Delaney Hall Detention facility," the agency said in a statement.

Families apart, detainees transported

Meanwhile on Friday, detainees are being transported to unknown locations following a security breach. Vans filled with detainees, some in shackles, have been seen leaving the facility. Sen. Kim, who toured the facility, indicated that remaining detainees will likely be moved elsewhere. 

Family members of detainees, many of whom have no criminal record, have been turned away from visiting their relatives at the facility. They express desperation over the lack of contact and uncertainty about where their loved ones are being transported.

What they're saying:

In a statement, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said: "We are concerned about reports of what has transpired at Delaney Hall, ranging from withholding food and poor treatment, to uprising and escaped detainees. This entire situation lacks sufficient oversight of every basic detail – including local zoning laws and fundamental constitutional rights."

The backstory:

Last month, a protest resulted in Baraka's arrest. He said he, along with several members of Congress, including New Jersey Democrat LaMonica McIver, were invited to tour the facility when ICE officials took them into custody for trespassing. Less than two weeks later, the charges against Baraka were dropped, but he has since filed a lawsuit over the arrest. 

Meanwhile, a federal grand jury indicted McIver on three criminal counts of assaulting, resisting, impeding and interfering with federal officers. She is set to be arraigned on Monday, and, if convicted, she could face time in prison.

What's next:

Efforts to reach ICE for comments on the future of the facility and the destination of detainees have been unsuccessful. The situation remains fluid as authorities continue the search for the escapees and address the aftermath of the security breach.

NewarkImmigration 2025