New Jersey has sued GEO Group to force the private operator of Delaney Hall in Newark to allow local health inspectors full access amid multi‑day protests and a detainee hunger/work strike. Detainees allege undrinkable water, inadequate medical care and outbreaks of flu and Covid‑19. Governor Mikie Sherrill said there is "no legitimate reason" to block inspections if the facility is safe and sanitary. Authorities imposed a nighttime curfew and police used tear gas to disperse activists.
New Jersey Sues GEO Group, Demands Health Inspections After Protests at Delaney Hall
Protesters have clashed with police outside the facility in Newark, New Jersey (EDUARDO MUNOZ)(EDUARDO MUNOZ/AFP/AFP)
New Jersey filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against GEO Group, the private company that operates Delaney Hall, a 1,000‑bed migrant detention facility in Newark used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The state is asking a court to order the company to provide local health authorities with unfettered access to inspect conditions inside the facility amid multi‑day protests and a detainee strike.
Lawsuit Seeks Access for Health Inspectors
The complaint demands that GEO Group allow health officials to enter Delaney Hall without restrictions so they can assess sanitation, medical care and contagious disease risks. New Jersey officials say there is "no legitimate reason" to block inspections if the facility is indeed "as safe and as sanitary as this private corporation and the Trump administration claim," Governor Mikie Sherrill said in a statement.
Allegations From Detainees and Protesters
Detainees at Delaney Hall launched a hunger and work strike to protest what they describe as undrinkable water, insufficient medical attention and outbreaks of the flu and Covid‑19 inside the facility. Those complaints have drawn public support from several Democratic lawmakers and prompted demonstrators to gather around the jail for several days.
"There is no legitimate reason to block health inspectors from the facility," — Gov. Mikie Sherrill
Local Response and Public Order Measures
In response to escalating demonstrations, local authorities imposed a nighttime curfew in the area around Delaney Hall. Police also used tear gas on at least one occasion to disperse activists, according to officials and witnesses.
The lawsuit seeks court intervention to ensure transparency and public‑health oversight of conditions inside the detention center. The legal action is ongoing, and the court will determine whether to grant the state's request for immediate access to inspectors.
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