Surrounded by a near-desolate industrial hellscape on the outskirts of Newark is the Delany Hall Detention Center. Delany Hall is essentially a concentration camp that has a 15-year contract with GEO Group, a for profit prison company. It has a 1,000 bed-capacity and is next to Essex County Jail. Delany Hall heavily restricted local and state authority, not obtaining permits or allowing code or health inspections.
In the last days of May and beginning of June 2026, a monumental struggle for human rights took place in and around Delany Hall.
Starting on May 22nd, hundreds of detainees went on a hunger and labor strike to demand improved conditions in the facility, including no more spoiled food and increased medical access. They also demanded the release of children, pregnant women, the elderly and the disabled. The participants refused to eat indefinitely, and to do the grueling labor for GEO group for $1 a day.
The demands also included for New Jersey Governor Mickie Sherill to personally meet the striking detainees. However, the final and ultimate demand was clearly the complete release of all detainees, who for the most part have no criminal record of any type.
On May 25th, Memorial Day, protesters, coordinated by a coalition of pro-immigrant, and progressive organizations had gathered outside of Delaney Hall in support of the striking detainees. Protesters attempted to block the ICE detention vans along with other vehicles from entering or leaving Delaney Hall, at times being successful. Governor Mikie Sherill and US Senator Andy Kim both were in attendance. Governor Sherill attempted to enter the facility and was denied access. Senator Andy Kim was tear gassed by ICE during the protest.
While this occurred, long-time Perth Amboy resident and activist Jimmy C was following events at Delaney Hall closely. He decided the very next day to find a way to take part in the struggle for immigrants’ rights, in front of this would be modern Bastille.
On May 26th, Jimmy C took the NJ Transit train from Perth Amboy to Newark Penn Station in the afternoon. He waited for the #25 bus to Deramus Avenue and Wilson Street, an intersection near the detention facility. After getting off the bus, he noticed a strong and awful smell, something akin to rotting eggs coming from a garbage incinerator. This concentration camp is indeed located in an industrial hellscape with terrible air quality. A clear hallmark of environmental racism as well. He then walked towards Delaney Hall, first noticing a crowd of about 100 people outside, all facing a line of ICE and other DHS crowd control agents guarding an entrance to the facility. ICE was wearing heavy military gear, including helmets, flak vests, batons, side arms, masks, goggles and pepper spray cans the size of home fire extinguishers. For the most part protesters and Federal Agents simply co-existed while facing each other. One side chanting and at times yelling at agents, and the other side waiting to use their military-grade gear in case any protesters caused too much trouble or got in the way of a van carrying trafficked humans.
Next to the gate was a small hill, covered with reporters who were looking down through their cameras, waiting to capture video or photos of confrontations. Further along the road parallel to the Delaney Hall facility, which is surrounded by a towering wall of a chain linked fence with razor wire, was another entrance. Just to the right of that entrance was a medical tent, and a protective gear depot, which was distributing goggles, and respirator masks for protection from pepper spray and other less lethal chemical agents being used by ICE. At the very end of this arrangement was a tent with supplies such as food, and other aid for any newly released detainee from Delaney Hall.
Throughout the day and night, Federal vehicles were entering or leaving the detention facility. Protesters put themselves in front of the vehicles in an attempt to prevent them either bringing detainees into the facility, or transferring strike leaders to other facilities in an attempt to break the strike inside. While this happened, ICE and other DHS crowd control viciously attack the protestors. At one point, an ICE agent chased a protester across the street, taking him down. Anyone who got too close was pepper sprayed, causing a large number of people to cough uncontrollably, and gasp for air.
From May 27th to 28th, this pattern would continue round the clock. About 100 protesters would stand in front of ICE and DHS riot control agents, until a vehicle would leave or enter the facility. Protesters would carry out their protest and come under assault front batons, pepper spray, rubber bullets, and the brute force of agents with heavy equipment pinning them to the ground. Some protesters were severely injured in this vicious cycle, and ended up in the hospital. One of these severe instances was on the night of May 28th, when a protester had his foot run over by an 18 wheeler truck. Jimmy C continued to travel to Delaney Hall and protest. An ICE agent wheeled his baton towards him, striking him several times, forcing him to retreat towards the heavy industrial traffic, just behind the protesters who were attempting to block the facility’s main entrance.
May 29th: Governor Mickie Sherill deployed the New Jersey State Police to “Protect both protesters and ICE agents ” from the days and nights of violence that had been taking place in front of Delaney Hall. The State Police created checkpoints throughout the industrial area surrounding Delaney Hall to limit the amount of protesters that could arrive. State Troopers arrived using horses for crowd control. At Delaney Hall, the usual crowd of 100 protesters could be seen in front of the north gate along with ICE agents guarding the gate in line formation. This time however, the New Jersey State Police had a presence and were ordering all the protesters to go inside a designated protesting zone enforced with barricades they created. Some protesters complied, but most defied the order and kept on mingling everywhere except in the protest zone.
The protesters had mixed reactions about the arrival of the State Police. Some viewed their presence as positive, and that they would potentially side with them over ICE in any event. The riot control ICE agents had retreated inside of Delaney Hall, no longer presenting an imposing presence outside. But others were suspicious rightfully so. After night fell, the New Jersey State Police delivered a dispersal order, that all the medical and supply tents had 20 minutes to be removed and dispersed. The warning time passed and a protester came on a bullhorn and announced that State Police in riot gear were approaching. A phalanx of riot cops could be seen approaching the protesters. What appeared to be a lone firework rocket flew from the line of riot police and exploded directly over the protesters. Then a second warning shot came before tear gas was deployed.
Tear gas canisters were launched at a high arc from the police line and landed in the crowd of protesters. Jimmy retreated north, trying to avoid the tear gas cloud, and any other projectiles being launched by the police. The scene was a warzone, as a tear gas cloud covered the area in front of Delaney Hall, accompanied by intermittent explosions from less lethal stun grenades police launched. It was an all-out assault on the protesters. After the dust had settled, some protesters held their ground, and the State Police completely retreated.
May 30th: Jimmy did not travel from Perth Amboy this night, however events in front of Delaney Hall were closely similar to the night before, as the New Jersey State Police once again launched an all out assault on the solidarity protesters. Rubber bullets were introduced, injuring some protesters. Some protesters created a fire in the middle of the street outside of Delaney Hall.
May 31: A curfew was imposed by the city of Newark approximately a mile around the Delaney Hall facility starting at 8PM EST. Over 40 protesters were arrested that night by Newark Police and New Jersey State Police in riot gear for violating the curfew. All spent 24 hours inside Essex County Jail, and many were charged with Felony Rioting. Jimmy just made it outside of the curfew perimeter escaping arrested, but saw the police in riot shield arrive in a bus to attack and arrest the protesters.
June 2nd; The curfew is lifted around Delaney Hall, and protesters are escorted back to Delaney Hall without incident.
The Delany Hall Strike officially ended on June 22nd, due to severe repression inside against the detainees by the guards. DHS dismissed the demands of the detainees. Pregnant women were released from the facility and 2 18-year-old women. Governor Sherrill was eventually allowed to tour Delaney Hall on June 8 under strike federal control. There are still ongoing legal battles by the state and local government and civil rights groups over the facility operation. There have been 3 detainee deaths at Delaney Hal, Jean Wilson Brutus 41, Jose Chajon-Raxon 39, Edwin Lopez-Cornejo 41. To this day small protests and vigils continue outside of Delaney Hall, and Jimmy occasionally visits, especially as news about three detainees losing their lives comes to light. This struggle continues until Delaney Hall is closed, all detainees are free, and all immigrants have full rights.
