Newark, NJ – Today, ICE announced the opening of the Delaney Hall facility in Newark, New Jersey, after the agency reached a deal with the facility’s owner to reestablish the 1,000-bed federal immigration processing and? detention center.
Rep. LaMonica McIver, who represents Newark in Congress, released the below statement condemning the contract:
“The Delaney Hall contract is in direct opposition to the will of the people here in Newark. I denounced the potential opening of this facility earlier this month alongside my colleagues from New Jersey because privately owned detention centers degrade public trust in our institutions—the lack of transparency often leads to poor conditions and longer sentences. New Jersey is the proud home to more than two million immigrants, and I will not sit idly by as Trump’s policies continue to harass and harm our neighbors.”
This announcement comes amid a flurry of immigration enforcement activity by the Trump administration, empowering ICE officials to conduct raids across the United States, including a January raid in Newark that resulted in the questioning of U.S. citizens and a military veteran. McIver, joined by her NJ colleagues, sent a letter to ICE denouncing the expansion of private immigration detention centers in New Jersey. Earlier this month, McIver and Reps. Menendez, and Watson Coleman made an unannounced visit to the Elizabeth Detention Center, conducting oversight and assessing the conditions within the facility.
Each of the three counties in McIver’s district have immigrant populations of about 30%. In addition to inquiries to the Department of Homeland Security and the unannounced ICE inspection, McIver has hosted two town halls to provide resources and guidance to the community.
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