‘We continue the fight for his liberty’: Family members gather to support detainees held in N.J.’s Delaney Hall ICE facility

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Family members, immigrant rights advocates and clergy members gathered outside Delaney Hall on Thursday to share information from those being held inside the facility.

Concerns have been mounting for weeks about the large federal immigrant detention facility in Newark, New Jersey, after detainees held a hunger strike in response to facility conditions, which sparked reports of violence inside. Protesters have also clashed with law enforcement officials outside of the facility.

Protesters have demanded an end to retaliatory violence by guards, restoration of visitation rights and freedom for those who are being detained. Of those detained within the facility, roughly 70% have no criminal history.

Detainees have alleged that they are being given spoiled food and dirty water. Some women have allegedly had miscarriages and not been given proper medical treatment, and some report being sexually abused.

Federal officials have denied these claims.

Catalina Adorno, a member of the immigrant rights group Cosecha New Jersey, said more detainees are joining the ongoing hunger strike, and they are being pepper-sprayed and beaten, in response. She said that on Wednesday, an estimated 90 detainees were transferred to other facilities for trying to organize protests, and more transfers may be taking place.

Through a translator, the wife of a man detained in the facility said that officials in the facility have been violent toward him and other detainees. The woman’s testimonial was translated from Spanish to English and she declined to give her name, fearing retaliation from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“My husband has been unjustly detained since March 11,” she said through the translator. “He has not been able to get his liberty, even though he has no criminal record. Guards went into unit 2B, where they began to throw [tear] gas bombs and hit people. My husband is in that unit and he is asthmatic. He told me he could not breathe and was hit.”

She said he was taken to the hospital, but then returned to Delaney Hall and placed in solitary confinement for five days.

“It’s not just. They continue to mistreat and punish him. We continue the fight to obtain his liberty. He is a good man,” she said.

Maricela, a family member of another inmate, said her loved one in Delaney Hall, along with others, has been living a nightmare. She also declined to give her full name for fear of retaliation against her detained family member.

“Every day they are worried about their health, being separated from their loved ones, and they worry about whether they can have their cases heard,” Maricela said. “There’s a lot of people that are sick, the water has a weird taste, many people have stomach pains and the water in the showers is boiling hot.”

She said visitation has been canceled and the detainees feel threatened and scared. However, those outside said they will continue fighting for justice without fear.

“These people are not criminals, they are being held without an opportunity for justice,” said a different family member, who wore a mask and did not state her name because she was afraid to reveal her identity.

In addition, 10 complaints have been made about one specific guard who is  allegedly sexually assaulting female detainees, and yet he continues to work inside the facility, she said.

Rev. Robin Tanner of the Unitarian Church in Summit, New Jersey, said she had visited detainees inside and many had lost weight and had bruises on their bodies.

“As a person of faith, I believe every human being has dignity; their dignity should be preserved,” Tanner said. “No one should be kidnapped. We are asking people of faith to join us, join the hunger strike. Free them all, free them all.”

According to Resistencia en Accion, several organizations participated in the protest, including Eyes on ICE NJ, American Friends Service Committee New Jersey, The Farmworkers’ Support Committee, El Pueblo Unido of Atlantic City, New Labor and the Detention Watch Network.

Gov. Mikie Sherrill and other state and federal leaders have repeatedly called for Delaney Hall to be shut down.

The state has filed a lawsuit against the GEO Group, the private company who oversees all facility operations. The suit, which was filed in the Superior Court of Essex County, requests full access to Delaney Hall, including access to sleeping areas, bathrooms and medical facilities, as well as the inspection of ventilation equipment.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka has also filed a lawsuit against Delaney Hall, requesting the facility be shut down due to health and safety concerns.

A request for comment about the allegations of mistreatment was not immediately returned by the Department of Homeland Security.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect that Catalina Adorno is a member of Cosecha New Jersey.