New Jersey has filed a lawsuit against the operator of an immigration detention center in Newark, alleging “unsanitary” conditions and inadequate tuberculosis infection control practices. The lawsuit demands that the facility’s owner, GEO Group, allow state health inspectors full access to the center. The state health department received a report of potentially inadequate tuberculosis infection control practices, prompting the legal action.
The lawsuit comes after protests and a hunger strike by detainees over conditions at the facility. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claims that health inspectors were granted access to the facility, but New Jersey argues that the access was limited. The state attorney general’s office alleges that GEO Group turned away inspectors on May 27, citing a high number of congressional visitors.
Immigration Detention Facility Conditions
The conditions at the Delaney Hall facility have been a subject of controversy, with immigration advocates reporting a hunger strike by detainees on May 22. The DHS has denied the hunger strike, with Secretary Markwayne Mullin saying that only a handful of individuals were refusing to eat because they wanted their ethnic group’s food. The facility has become a focal point for protests by activists opposed to the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
The protests have sometimes turned violent, with Senator Andy Kim, a New Jersey Democrat, saying he was hit with pepper spray during one protest. Newark has imposed an overnight curfew around the facility, and police officers escorted demonstrators from the area on Monday night without making any arrests. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka has called for the immediate closure of Delaney Hall, announcing a legal strategy to shut down the center.
Implications and Reactions
The lawsuit and protests have sparked a heated debate over immigration policies and the treatment of detainees. New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat, said that if the GEO Group has nothing to hide, then there is no reason why health inspectors should be denied full access to the facility. The DHS and GEO Group have not responded to requests for comment.
The controversy surrounding Delaney Hall is part of a larger debate over immigration detention centers and the treatment of migrants. The facility is the latest to become a flashpoint, following protests at other centers in Texas and New York. As the debate continues, the conditions at Delaney Hall and other immigration detention centers will likely remain a topic of concern and controversy.
