Protests outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Newark, New Jersey, turned violent Tuesday night as federal officers used chemical agents and force against demonstrators supporting detainees engaged in a hunger and labor strike.
Tensions escalated outside the Delaney Hall detention center after several days of protests tied to allegations of poor conditions inside the privately operated facility. Witnesses said federal officers armed with Tasers, batons and pepper spray confronted demonstrators after hours of relative calm.
At one point during the confrontation, a protester who allegedly threw an object toward officers was pursued by multiple federal agents, Tased and carried into the detention facility.
The unrest comes as hundreds of detainees at Delaney Hall reportedly continue a hunger and work strike demanding improved food, ventilation, medical treatment and faster processing of their immigration cases. Activists and detainees estimate that between 300 and 400 people are participating in the protest.
Delaney Hall is operated by Geo Group, one of the largest private prison contractors in the United States. The strike and demonstrations have intensified scrutiny of immigration detention policies under President Donald Trump’s administration, which has expanded nationwide deportation and detention operations.
A letter released Tuesday by advocates representing detainees described overcrowding, poor sanitation, inadequate healthcare and delays in immigration proceedings. Former detainees who recently left the facility confirmed participating in the strike and disputed federal claims that no organized protest was occurring inside the center.
“We are detained, we are on hunger strike, demanding due process rights and the improvement of conditions,” one former detainee told reporters after his release. “We are not criminals.”
Another recently released detainee, identified only as Luis, said he had been held at Delaney Hall for more than three months after being detained during a routine immigration check-in. Speaking outside the facility while requesting anonymity out of fear of retaliation, he accused the detention system of prioritizing profit over humane treatment.
“If they freed us, we wouldn’t generate profit for this business,” he said, referring to Geo Group.
Geo Group denied allegations of mistreatment and said detainees receive medical care, meals, legal access and monitored services under ICE oversight. In a statement, the company said it was “proud” of its decades-long partnership supporting federal immigration enforcement operations.
The protests follow mounting political controversy surrounding conditions inside the facility. On Monday, Democratic lawmakers including Senator Andy Kim and New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill attempted to inspect Delaney Hall. Kim later described conditions there as “inhumane” and publicly shared allegations involving inadequate medical support for pregnant detainees and delayed healthcare treatment.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) strongly rejected those claims. DHS officials and department secretary Markwayne Mullin accused Democratic politicians of spreading misinformation and denied reports of any hunger strike.
“There is no hunger strike at Delaney Hall. There are no subprime conditions,” Mullin wrote on social media.
Federal officials said detainees receive meals designed by certified dieticians, clean water, medical care, clothing, bedding and access to communication with lawyers and family members.
Advocates for immigrant rights, however, insist detainees have repeatedly reported unsafe and degrading conditions. Amy Torres, executive director of the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, said accounts from inside the facility have remained consistent despite official denials.
“Conditions were bad enough for people to lose their pregnancies,” Torres said. “That’s what got people to strike.”
As night fell Tuesday, protesters continued gathering outside the industrial complex housing Delaney Hall, chanting against ICE while convoys of trucks passed nearby sounding horns in support. A lone counter-protester also appeared near the demonstration, leading to heated verbal exchanges with activists.
The situation remains tense as immigration advocates, lawmakers and federal officials continue clashing over detention conditions and the Trump administration’s broader deportation policies.
