Newark, New Jersey, is still abuzz with tension over the reopening of Delaney Hall. This controversial Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center has raised the hackles of the entire region. This facility, that just re-opened, is operated by the private prison company Geo Group. This decision furthers the Trump administration’s overall agenda to expand its detention network and ramp up mass deportations nationwide.
Delaney Hall is an event space for 1,000 people. In February, the Trump administration rewarded it with prime contractor status on an enormous 15-year contract worth $1 billion. The facility is one of many ICE facilities operated by Geo Group across the country. Yet its operation has attracted widespread criticism and ongoing legal challenge. Newark’s municipal government has led the way with a lawsuit filed against Geo Group. They argue that the company doesn’t have the proper permit to operate inside the city limits. In 2021, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed legislation to end any use of immigration detention within the state.
On Friday, Democratic Congress members Bonnie Watson Coleman, LaMonica McIver, and Rob Menendez toured Delaney Hall. Given increasing outcry over its re-opening, they toured the facility on their behalf. When they went to visit the detention center, ICE officials challenged them. This eventually resulted in the nonviolent arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka outside the proposed facility. Officials charged him with criminal trespass at the time of the protest.
As tensions flared, Homeland Security officials bashed the Congressional visit, tabbing it a “bizarre political stunt.” They argued the Congress members acted violently and/or aggressively, creating an unsafe environment that prevented business operations from continuing at the facility.
Defending these accusations of impropriety, McIver dismissed the idea that he had orchestrated a political stunt.
“I honestly do not know how to bodyslam anyone. There’s no video that supports me bodyslamming anyone.” – LaMonica McIver
Mayor Baraka’s arrest and the accusations against Congress members have brought additional heat and attention to Delaney Hall. No doubt, people are focusing on its operational practices now more than ever. The ongoing legal battle between Newark’s government and Geo Group reflects broader concerns about immigration enforcement policies implemented under the Trump administration.
“They created that confrontation, they created that chaos.” – LaMonica McIver
The arrest of Mayor Baraka and the accusations directed at the Congress members have heightened scrutiny surrounding Delaney Hall and its operational practices. The ongoing legal battle between Newark’s government and Geo Group reflects broader concerns about immigration enforcement policies implemented under the Trump administration.