Events at Delaney Hall
We are all aware of the events that have been happening in Los Angeles, California; however, many people are not aware of what has been going on right here in NJ, and the people whose lives have been upended at Delaney Hall Detention Center in Newark.
Delaney Hall is located in one of the giant out-of-the-way industrial parks scattered around NJ, specifically in an area known as Newark’s Chemical Corridor due to its proximity to toxic industries. Street parking is limited, and there is no established parking lot for visitors. The road that passes by is nearly always packed with slow-moving trucks making their way to other areas of the industrial park or going out for deliveries. Just crossing the road can be a challenge, so even if the Hall itself had a friendly policy towards visitors (which it does not), it is not in a people-friendly location. And visiting hours are periodically changed – sometimes on a whim – so family members are never sure when they will be allowed to visit and often make the long journey only to be denied entry.
The Hall is a private, for-profit prison owned by GEO Group, the largest private prison operator in the United States. Investors sensed that GEO would thrive as Trump ramped up detentions, and its stock price skyrocketed with the election of Donald Trump in 2024. Additionally, Geo Group’s PAC was the first corporation to donate the maximum allowed to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.
GEO Group reopened Delaney Hall in February of 2025, with the intention of detaining 1000 people for ICE in this facility. The plan received immediate pushback from local and state officials who said the facility was not up to code or fit for its purpose.
Delaney Hall made international news on May 9, 2025, when Ras Baraka and a congressional delegation, concerned about conditions at the facility, were denied oversight of the Hall. Ras Baraka was arrested during this incident but was subsequently released, and the charges were dropped. The same cannot be said for Congressperson LaMonica McIver, who was unfairly charged with assaulting a law enforcement officer during this same oversight mission.
Delaney Hall was once again in the news on June 12 when detained people spoke out against the conditions in the Hall. The people being held say that there were food shortages, boiling water from pipes, and unsafe and unsanitary conditions in the hall. Additionally, there are constant reports of denied visitations from family members and substandard medical care.
On June 13th, Senator Andy Kim and Representative Rob Menendez visited Delaney Hall to assess the situation. Menendez said, “Everything we learned today confirmed what we knew: private detention centers put profits above all else.”
Most recently, family members of the detained said they have heard all detained people will be moved to other facilities in Pennsylvania and then on to southern states. This will make maintaining contact with family members and lawyers difficult. Some detained people who had posted bond and were scheduled for release are now being
Well-documented concerns surrounding for-profit prisons prompted New Jersey to pass legislation banning state and local entities, as well as private companies, from contracting with ICE for immigrant detention in 2021. Unfortunately, in the ensuing years, these corporations have found a way around the law, but we can still take action.
What you can do
Call your Congresspeople and your Senators and make two demands:
- That these people be released and not transferred.
- That New Jersey uphold a 2021 law that prohibits private companies from renewing or signing new contracts to open federal immigration detention centers in the state.
- Congressperson Norcross: (202) 225-6501
- Congressperson Van Drew: (202) 225-6572
- Senator Booker: (202) 224-3224
- Senator Kim: (202) 224-4744
Follow the groups that are on the ground at Delaney Hall and support their work