Inspection of Delaney Hall ICE Facility Sparks Controversy
FIRST ON FOX: An inspection of the Delaney Hall ICE facility contradicts several claims made by New Jersey elected officials as the facility’s operator faces a new lawsuit from the state’s attorney general.
State Attorney General’s Lawsuit
Just hours before activists from the Democratic Socialists of America and other far-left organizations held a demonstration in front of her office, New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport announced that the state is suing GEO Group Inc., the company contracted by the Department of Homeland Security to operate the ICE facility.
Findings from the DHS Investigation
The unclassified investigation, obtained by Fox News Digital, represents the most recent report conducted by the DHS Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) at Delaney Hall. Its conclusions do not align with some of the allegations made in the attorney general’s lawsuit.
“During the inspection, [the Office of Detention Oversight] assessed the facility’s compliance with 22 standards and found the facility in compliance with 17 of those standards,” the investigation concluded.
Deficiencies Identified
The report recommended that DHS Enforcement and Removal Operations in Newark “continue to work with the facility to resolve the deficiencies that remain outstanding in accordance with contractual obligations.”
The attorney general’s office cited various media reports and Democratic members of Congress regarding the lawsuit, making allegations such as the presence of worms in food, inadequate supply of toilet paper, insufficient medical care, and an incident involving tuberculosis.
Compliance Breakdown
Fox News Digital has identified the five standards that were not met during the investigation conducted last August:
- Deficiencies in food services due to ice build-up in freezers.
- Failure to fingerprint detainees upon release.
- Inadequate checks on holding rooms and custodial information.
- Lack of proper labeling of cleaning equipment on site.
- Inadequate monitoring of detainees for suicide and self-harm prevention.
Response from DHS
The DHS responded to the attorney general’s lawsuit with a post on X stating, “This is a frivolous lawsuit. Just last week on May 28, four representatives of the New Jersey State Health Department arrived at approximately 11:00 AM. They entered the facility and inspected the foodservice department. The inspection of the kitchen was completed, and they departed around 12:30 PM.”
Growing Pressure on State Officials
The attorney general and Democratic Governor Mikie Sherrill are facing increasing pressure from far-left and socialist groups regarding Sherrill’s decision to deploy state police during riots that occurred outside of the facility.
On Monday, activists from Indivisible, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit backed by Democratic billionaire George Soros, protested outside Sherrill’s Trenton office, demanding that the governor cease collaboration with DHS and shut down the Delaney Hall facility. They criticized Sherrill for allegedly spreading “MAGA propaganda.”
Clashes between Protesters and Law Enforcement
Despite the deployment of state police who faced protesters last Friday night, Sherrill claimed in a post on X that local law enforcement was present to protect the agitators from ICE agents.
Demonstrations continued as elements of the Democratic Socialists of America, as well as other activist groups like the “Climate Revolution Action Network” and “State of Liberation Jersey City,” protested outside Davenport’s office, stating that “Mikie and her AG” must “meet the demands of the detained Delaney Hall hunger strikers; and stop brutalizing protesters in the name of ‘public safety.’”
Ongoing Unrest and Arrests
A number of nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations have been mobilizing protesters in front of Delaney Hall over the past week. Tensions have boiled over, exemplified by the brutal clashes between state police and protesters last Friday night. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin noted that some agitators at the facility were “well supplied,” with one individual reportedly traveling from Portland specifically to participate in the unrest.
Numerous rioters have been arrested, and during a demonstration at Davenport’s office, agitators called for the release of individuals detained amid the violence.
Calls for Action
“Drop all charges and free protesters who exercised their constitutionally protected rights to protest the deplorable treatment of immigrants in New Jersey,” read the flyer distributed during the event.