The Hudson County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously (9-0) to approve a resolution joining Democratic Governor Mikie Sherrill’s calls to close Delaney Hall, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Newark.
By Dan Israel/Hudson County View
Before its adoption, Commissioner Bill O’Dea (D-2), the primary sponsor, read the resolution in full to the board, denoting the facility is operated by GEO Group under a 15-year, $1 billion contract with ICE.
The resolution highlights how recently Delaney Hall has been the subject of significant public concern regarding conditions, oversight, and compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
Delaney Hall is the largest migrant jail on the East Coast, with an authorized capacity of up to 1,196 individuals.
Recently, the facility has been at the center of ongoing protests and detainee hunger strikes, with community organizers and advocates raising concerns regarding the alleged inhuman conditions, lack of due process, and transparency.
Newark officials have challenged the operations of Delaney Hall, citing a lack of necessary city permits and certificates.
According to the resolution, New Jersey has a strong public interest in ensuring that any detention facility operating within its borders complies fully with all health, safety, zoning, licensing, and civil rights requirements.
The resolution also states that Sherrill has the authority within the bounds of state and federal law to take action to oppose the continued operation or expansion of private detention capacity in New Jersey.
Therefore, the board urges Sherrill to take all lawful steps available to secure the immediate closure of Delaney Hall in addition to urging all appropriate state agencies to conduct any necessary inspections, investigations, and enforcement actions to ensure full compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, public safety standards.
The resolution also asks Sherrill and New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport to oppose any expansion of private detention capacity in the state, and directed a copy of the document be sent to them and the mayor and city council of Newark.
West New York resident Mark Bloomberg thanked the board for “speaking out” and passing the resolution, hoping demands of the striker participants are met and that Delaney Hall closes, both expeditiously.
“I received updates happening today, this afternoon, about horrific violence being perpetrated at Delaney Hall,” he said.
“Prisoners reported that about 40 guards stormed the hallways, beating and pepper spraying people. Guards twisted one person’s arm. They broke a young boy’s face. Another person was left unconscious without medical attention.”
According to Bloomberg, amid the violence, ambulances were called but not allowed in to the facility, further highlighting the inhumane conditions.
“Human rights violations are being perpetrated before the eyes of the state, country, and the world. Today’s escalation of violence comes on top of ongoing abuses and abysmal conditions that the prisoners themselves have been protesting through a coordinated labor and hunger strike since May 22,” he continued.
“ICE and the GEO Group have been using a variety of retaliation and intimidation tactics against the strikers, including canceled visitations, threats to transfer those who communicate with advocates or elected officials.”
Jersey City resident Ryan Heisinger thanked the board and asked them to include the demands of the hunger strikers and their families in the resolution.
They ask that Sherrill go inside the facility to meet with them; GEO Group release medically vulnerable people with HIV, diabetes, and cancer without access to medication; they also release the elderly and young detainees, like a 17-year-old taken before her high school graduation or those over 70-years old; and to release the remaining detainees and close the facility.
“The reason I share that is because there is a real deep fear on the part of both the hostages, I would call them, and their families, that if Delaney Hall were closed, that they would simply be shipped all over the country or deported,” Heisinger stated.
“Then it’s an even worse situation… So I just urge you to adjust the language slightly to reflect the demands of the strikers and of their families. So release everyone, free them all, and then close this concentration camp.”
He also noted that he was at Delaney Hall the day prior and watch the violence by ICE against protestors for simply standing there, including people being punched in the face, pepper sprayed, and dragged on the ground- something that happened to him.
“The abuses are really unbelievable, and these are abuses that they are carrying out in front of cameras. You can only imagine what they are doing where there are no cameras allowed.”
Jersey City resident Courtney Walker thanked the board for the resolution and highlighted that one of the leaders of the hunger strike is Martin Soto, a Kearny man who was taken in February when on a diaper run for his kids.
She said his wife Gabriella has been on the front lines communicating their demands from inside the facility and explaining the inhumane conditions.
“Martin lost over 30 pounds over three months at the Delaney Hall because of the poor food, depicted worms in the food, rotten food. So this issue is central to Hudson County,” Walker said.
At the end of comment on the resolution, O’Dea had the resolution amended to include a call to “take any and all necessary steps to address issues raised by detainees who are currently conducting a hunger strike at the facility.”
The amendment was added unanimously before the resolution was also adopted unanimously.
“Delaney Hall resembles a concentration camp. That’s really what it resembles. I’ve had friends who’s had family members there, and the sole purpose of that facility is to make people’s lives so miserable that they want to get deported. It is so clear,” O’Dea declared.
“Somebody’s got to take action. Whether it’s the Essex County Prosecutor, whether it’s the Attorney General of the State of New Jersey, we can’t stand by and just allow that to continue.”
Word salad worthy of Kamala.
“migrant jail”.
Migrant is a guy who moved from Maine to Idaho, with full citizenship. Those who moved from Kazakhstan via Brazil and Mexico are still illegal aliens. They are jailed because they have outstanding removal orders.
“protests”
Not even “mostly peaceful protests”. Violent riot is now a “protest”.
“rotten food”
Any proof? Any verification? Nah. Trust me bro technique is now called journalism.
Delaney is in Newark. That is not even Hudson County.
As if Hudson County doesn’t have it’s own problems to deal with they instead turn to Essex County to voice their opinion. Anything for a newsclip. Pathetic governing on their part.