Family visits are resuming at Delaney Hall, a New Jersey immigration detention center, following a tense week of protests and aggressive police responses that left the facility largely sealed off from the outside world.
Officials announced the partial restoration of visitation on Sunday morning, though exactly which detainees would be allowed to receive family members remained muddled. Units 1 and 3 began accepting visitors around noon and 2pm respectively, but Unit 2, where most of the hunger-striking immigrants are housed, remained unclear.
The visitation shutdown had begun after detained immigrants launched a hunger and labor strike on May 22, demanding better conditions, proper medical care, and faster processing of their immigration cases. Between 300 and 400 detainees have participated. Outside supporters quickly organized demonstrations in solidarity.
What followed was a week of escalating confrontations. On Monday, ICE officers pepper-sprayed U.S. Senator Andy Kim, a New Jersey Democrat, during a scuffle outside the facility. Over subsequent days, detainees and advocates reported that ICE used pepper spray and stun guns, shoved demonstrators, and made arrests.
By Friday, state police took over external security from ICE officers. That decision backfired spectacularly. During Saturday night clashes, state police on horseback moved through crowds while riot-gear officers fired tear gas canisters and made aggressive arrests. Activists directly blamed the state response for escalating violence.
"The escalation that happened was ten times worse than what ICE was doing to everyone prior nights," said Murad Awawdeh, president and CEO of the New York Immigrant Coalition. "If anything, the escalators were the state police."
Three people were arrested during Saturday's clashes after police said protesters attacked officers and barriers. The road to Delaney Hall is now fully blocked except for families attempting visits.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka imposed an overnight curfew from 9pm to 6am for the area surrounding the facility, effective immediately and lasting until further notice. Violations could result in arrest or legal action.
Governor Mikie Sherrill announced the visitation restoration but claimed credit that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security disputed. Sherrill said DHS "met our demand," but a DHS spokesperson countered that visitation was suspended only because of "violent riots" and could now resume due to establishing "a secure perimeter."
The facility is run by the private prison company GEO Group, which declined to comment. Sherrill's office also provided no statement.
On Sunday, U.S. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries conducted an oversight visit to the facility and described the conditions of confinement as shocking. Delaney Hall has long faced criticism over harsh conditions and inadequate medical care.
The detainees' demands remain unresolved. They are still seeking improved conditions, proper medical attention, a direct meeting with Governor Sherrill, and expedited processing of their immigration cases. Whether the partial restoration of visitation signals momentum toward addressing these grievances is unclear.
Author James Rodriguez: "A partial victory masked by bureaucratic finger-pointing and a curfew that silences further dissent."
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