Immigrants detained at Delaney Hall, a privately run ICE jail in Newark, New Jersey, launched a hunger and work strike in late May 2026 to protest conditions and what they called due-process violations. Organizers and Democracy Now put the number of strikers at roughly 300 inside the facility, which holds about 900 people and is operated by the private prison company GEO Group.
The protest escalated outside the gates. When demonstrators blocked a van being used to move hunger-strike organizer Martin Soto, masked ICE agents fired tear gas and shoved people to the ground; agents had earlier pepper-sprayed New Jersey Senator Andy Kim as he tried to de-escalate (see ICE Agents Pepper-Sprayed Senator Andy Kim on Memorial Day Outside a Detention Center Where 300 Detainees Were on Hunger Strike). Several protesters were arrested and accused of assaulting officers.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill was denied entry to the facility on May 25 despite federal law granting oversight access to elected officials; Senator Cory Booker and several House members were also turned away or given limited access. Lawmakers who did tour the building described filthy bathrooms, abusive guards, inadequate medical care, spoiled food, and detainees being threatened with deportation to countries facing Ebola outbreaks. The Department of Homeland Security disputed the accounts, saying agents used “minimum force” during a physical altercation and that detainees receive comprehensive care.