Key takeaways:
- DHS restores family visitation at Delaney Hall starting Sunday noon, with regular hours on Monday.
- Visitation was suspended due to safety concerns amid protests alleging poor detainee conditions, which DHS denies.
- Newark imposed a nightly curfew and law enforcement deployed tear gas after violent clashes outside the facility.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has agreed to restore family visitation at Delaney Hall, an ICE detention center in Newark, New Jersey, following more than a week of protests and unrest outside the facility. New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill announced on Sunday that limited visitation would resume at noon, with regular hours starting Monday. “Families should contact the facility directly for additional details,” she said in a social media post.
Visitation had been suspended on Memorial Day due to safety concerns amid escalating protests. Demonstrators have gathered outside Delaney Hall to support detainees who allege inadequate medical care, poor living conditions, and delays in immigration proceedings—claims DHS denies. The agency stated detainees receive three meals a day and comprehensive medical care, and denied reports of hunger strikes inside the facility.
“These sanctuary politicians need to stop with the political theatre. No lawbreakers in the history of human civilization have been better treated than illegal aliens,” said DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis in a statement to CBS News New York. A DHS spokesperson added that visitation was suspended solely because unrest outside made it unsafe for officers, detainees’ families, and attorneys, and that visits could resume now that the area has been secured. “We did not cave to the Governor’s demands,” the spokesperson said.
Tensions escalated over the weekend, with New Jersey State Police deploying tear gas after masked individuals attacked barriers in the designated protest area, threw projectiles, and set tires on fire. Governor Sherrill condemned the violence, stating, “I do not know why these individuals attacked or what they wanted to accomplish, but I refuse to let these dangerous actions detract from New Jersey’s dedication to ensuring public safety, keeping people safe from ICE, and that the people detained inside Delaney Hall are treated with dignity.”
In response to the unrest, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka imposed a nightly curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. around Delaney Hall. State officials have urged protesters to remain peaceful and warned outside agitators against creating chaos. “To the people coming from out of state to create chaos and dangerous situations, you should not be here,” Sherrill said. “You are not helping the people detained at Delaney Hall, you’re not helping detainee families, and you’re certainly not keeping New Jersey safe.”
Law enforcement will escort families into the facility to ensure safety, and Governor Sherrill emphasized the importance of allowing visitation to proceed without interference. The New Jersey State Police have taken responsibility for security outside Delaney Hall and have established designated protest areas to prevent further clashes between demonstrators and federal authorities.
Be First to Comment