Hunger Strike at ICE Center Sparks Allegations of Pressure Against Detained Immigrants

ICE Denies Active Hunger Strike

Families Denounce Retaliation

Detainees Demand Release

Tension inside and outside Delaney Hall detention center, operated by ICE in Newark, New Jersey, continues to rise after detained immigrants began a hunger and labor strike to demand better conditions and their release.

The protest has already prompted a visit from federal lawmakers and new allegations of alleged retaliation against relatives and detainees.

Why it matters: The case once again puts conditions inside private immigration detention centers in the United States under scrutiny, as organizations and families denounce pressure, lack of medical care, and due process violations.

New Jersey Members of Congress Warn of Possible Retaliation Against Detained Immigrants

Senator Andy Kim and Representative Rob Menendez made an oversight visit to the detention center on Saturday, where they spoke with some immigrants participating in the strike that began Friday morning.

Menendez expressed concern about possible ICE retaliation against those taking part in the protest and said hunger strikes have a strong political and social impact.

“I am concerned that ICE is going to try to pressure them because this has power. When people go on hunger strikes, that is powerful,” the congressman said.

The demonstration was publicly announced during a protest held outside Delaney Hall, where relatives and activists demanded the closure of the center and the release of detainees.

Families Denounce Threats and Pressure Inside the ICE Detention Center

The hunger and labor strike inside Delaney Hall ICE detention center in New Jersey has now entered its second day.

People outside set up tents to hand out donations and support families visiting detainees.

Still human after all.pic.twitter.com/T8MubxOxtC

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) May 23, 2026

One of the most visible voices of the protest is Gabriela Soto, a 28-year-old mother from Kearny, New Jersey, whose husband, Martin Soto, has been detained at Delaney Hall since February.

Soto said center employees threatened to restrict her visits because of the demonstrations organized outside the facility. She also alleged that her husband had been subjected to prolonged questioning by staff.

“They think he is part of what I am doing outside. They think he is part of the protest,” Soto said.

“It is just me. He is not doing anything inside,” she added.

The allegations come at a time of growing pressure on ICE and the private companies responsible for operating immigration detention centers in the United States.

Detainees Allege Lack of Adequate Food and Insufficient Medical Care

ICE agents clashed with anti-ICE protesters outside Delaney Hall detention facility in New Jersey after demonstrators blocked vehicles from leaving.pic.twitter.com/nga9ZtOPte

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) May 25, 2026

Immigrants detained at Delaney Hall have repeatedly reported problems related to food quality and medical care since the center reopened last year.

Earlier this month, nearly 300 detainees signed an open letter accusing the immigration system of denying them due process.

Menendez said that during the visit, he observed solidarity and organization among the detainees despite the reported conditions.

“As much as that place wants to take away people’s humanity and break them down, you see people coming together and taking care of each other,” the congressman said.

The Department of Homeland Security, the agency that oversees ICE, denied in an emailed statement that there is currently a hunger strike inside the center.

“There is no hunger strike at Delaney Hall at this time,” the agency said.

However, ICE’s internal policy states that a protest is not officially recognized as a hunger strike until after 72 continuous hours without food.

GEO Group Remains Silent as Political Pressure on ICE Grows

ICE Hunger Strike at Center Sparks Allegations of Pressure Against Detained Immigrants – PHOTO: Shutterstock

Delaney Hall is operated by GEO Group, a private company based in Florida that manages prisons and detention centers.

The company did not respond to requests for comment regarding the new allegations.

Both ICE and GEO Group have previously rejected accusations of retaliation, abuse, and poor conditions inside the center.

The case has also brought renewed attention to Senator Cory Booker, who visited Delaney Hall last January and introduced legislation to ban the federal government from continuing to use private immigration detention centers.

So far, it is unclear whether Booker plans to return to the center after the start of the ICE hunger strike.

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SOURCE: Gothamist