'Delaney Hall should be closed down': Gov. Sherrill says NJ Dept. of Health 'denied full access'

Delaney Hall protests: Baraka calls for investigation into ICE facility

Protesters continue clashes with ICE agents outside Delaney Hall in Newark. Now, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka is asking Gov. Mikie Sherrill to launch an investigation into conditions at the ICE detention center

NEW JERSEY - New Jersey's Department of Health was allegedly denied full access to Delaney Hall, according to Gov. Mikie Sherrill.

‘Delaney Hall should be closed down’

What they're saying:

A statement provided by the governor says the following about the immigration detention center:

"The New Jersey Department of Health today sought to conduct a health inspection of Delaney Hall, but it was denied full access and was allowed to inspect only a limited part of the facility. We will review and share the Department’s findings from the limited portion it was allowed to inspect, and we will continue to pursue all appropriate avenues for demanding transparency and ensuring humane conditions for the individuals being held at the facility.

As I’ve said repeatedly, refusing to provide full access raises serious questions about what ICE is trying to hide from public view. New Jersey believes in the rule of law, will uphold the Constitution, and Delaney Hall should be closed down. 

I am calling for ICE to immediately de-escalate the situation as I continue working to keep New Jersey residents safe."

The backstory:

The facility has been the center of sustained protests, with demonstrators maintaining a presence outside the private detention center known as Delaney Hall.

Newark protests outside Delaney Hall continue, protesters clash with agents

Groups continue to protest outside Delaney Hall, the ICE detention center in Newark. Protesters are speaking out on conditions at the facility, saying some detainees are on hunger strike. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullen has denied those claims.

Over the following days, demonstrations outside the Newark detention center intensified as immigrant rights advocates and relatives of detainees gathered demanding the facility’s closure.

Tensions escalated on Monday, May 25, as protesters blocked entrances to Delaney Hall by locking arms, sitting on the ground and forming a human chain to prevent ICE vehicles from entering and leaving the property.

The other side:

In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security defended officers’ actions during Monday’s clash, saying protesters obstructed law enforcement vehicles from exiting the facility and ignored repeated verbal commands to clear the area.

Tensions erupt outside Delaney Hall ICE detention facility in Newark

Protests outside the Delaney Hall ICE detention facility in Newark escalated over the weekend, with clashes between demonstrators and federal agents. Officials and advocates are offering sharply different accounts of conditions and events inside and outside the facility.

"We will not allow violent rioters to slow ICE down. Law and order will be restored.

There is no hunger strike at Delaney Hall at this time."