Chaotic Scene Erupts at Privately-Run Immigration Detention Center in Newark, NJ
Escalating Chaos at Deportation Center in New York Perimeter: Unrest Intensifies
Live Updates: facebook, twitter, whatsapp, email, print, copy link
In the heart of Newark, New Jersey, a privately managed immigration detention center—not New York—named Delaney Hall has been thrust into the spotlight following a week of escalating violence, detainee escapes, and protests due to alleged harsh living conditions.
Festering Inside: A Glimpse of Life within Delaney Hall
- Inhumane Treatment Allegations: Detainees and their families have denounced inhumane conditions internally, including shortages of edible food, missed meals, unsanitary conditions, and boiling water in the pipes.[1][2][4]
- Lack of Essentials: Detainees' kin claim they have gone up to 20 hours without food, and when served, their portions were small. Released detainees vividly describe being treated with disdain, experiencing unhygienic conditions, and facing ignored questions about their stay.[2][4]
- Discrepant Statements: The facility's operator, GEO Group, and DHS have refuted widespread unrest and reiterated their prioritization of good care, including medical services, meals, and visitation—statements that contradict detainee and family testimonies.[1][3]
The Pandemonium Begins
- Catalyst for Turmoil: Frustration over poor conditions, particularly food shortages and delayed meal service, sparked the initial unrest among about 50 detainees, who engaged in violent protests.[1][4]
- Forced Response: During the conflict, a gas-like substance was reportedly deployed with the detainees, causing discomfort among police and outside onlookers, who reported experiencing coughing fits suggestive of possible exposure to chemical agents.[4]
- Authorities' Response: Local authorities have deemed the site a crime scene and launched an investigation.[1]
Escape and Manhunt
- Breakout: Escaping detainees broke down an interior wall—drywall with some mesh reinforcement—and climbed out through an exterior wall.[1][4]
- Escapees and Warranted Arrest: Four male detainees with criminal histories of weapons possession, burglary, or violence fled, prompting additional law enforcement agencies, including DHS and the FBI, to join the search.[1][2][3]
- Reward for Information: A $10,000 reward has been offered for any helpful information leading to their capture.[3][4]
Controversy and Investigations
- Permit Debate: Newark city officials maintain that the operator lacks proper local permits to operate the facility, a contention that DHS denies.[1]
- Public Safety Concerns: The agencies' primary focus remains located on reapprehending the escaped detainees and ensuring public safety given the criminal records of those who fled.[3]
These events underscore ongoing controversies regarding immigration detention center conditions across the United States and the ramifications of overcrowding, inadequate care, and lax supervision. The situation at Delaney Hall remains under active investigation, with law enforcement persistently seeking the escaped detainees.[1][2][4]
- The escalating violence and allegations of inhumane treatment at Delaney Hall, a privately managed immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey, have now prompted the European Union to carefully consider the future of such facilities and their conditions within the broader context of politics and general-news.
- In light of the chaotic scene at the Delaney Hall detention center, crime-and-justice authorities are demanding answers regarding the circumstances surrounding the escape of four detainees with criminal histories, while the European Union deliberates on the future of immigration detention centers and their treatment of immigrants.
