NEWARK, NEW JERSEY — Detainees at the Delaney Hall detention center in Newark, New Jersey, launched a labor and hunger strike on May 19, 2026. Participants cited poor sanitation, spoiled food, and alleged coercion by guards to sign deportation documents.

Sally Pillay, an advocate with Eyes on ICE, said the strike ended less than a week after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) updated detention standards for contractors in mid-June 2026. Pillay said the strike ended due to "intimidation tactics." "Because of the intimidation tactics, the disciplinary consequences for folks to be placed in segregation, [detainees] have now resorted to going back to job assignments and eating," Pillay said.

The updated ICE standards removed language requiring detention facilities to comply with state and local laws regarding detainee treatment. The standards also specified that detainee workers are not considered employees. ICE stated the updated standards were meant to "reduce the burden on our detention operators."

The GEO Group, which manages Delaney Hall, denied access to state and local elected officials during this period. New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill was denied access to Delaney Hall in May 2026. Sen. Andy Kim visited the facility but reported that guards prevented him from speaking to detainees; he described seeing a woman curled up on the floor in the fetal position during his visit. Family members of detainees stated that guards pepper-sprayed detainees for striking, and the facility paused all visitation for a period in May 2026.

Over 70 detainees have filed federal lawsuits alleging medical neglect and deficiencies at Delaney Hall. In May 2026 alone, at least 18 such lawsuits were filed in federal court. Court filings allege facility staff did not provide prescribed medication and treatment for over 30 detainees with chronic conditions such as asthma, epilepsy, diabetes, and cancer. Federal District Court judges ordered the release or bond hearings for the majority of these detainees. In 11 cases, federal judges ordered a detainee's release or other relief partly due to severe medical concerns.

Laura Yinneth Molano Luque, a 33-year-old Colombian detainee at Delaney Hall, became severely ill in May 2026. Attorney Franklin S. Montero wrote in federal court filings that she made multiple requests for medical help over several days that went unheeded. Montero wrote in a June 4 emergency letter to a federal judge, "This is not an administrative oversight. It is the textbook definition of deliberate indifference to serious medical needs." Molano Luque fainted and was transferred to a hospital, then returned to Delaney Hall the next day and fainted again, according to court filings. Court filings also allege she has vomited blood, experienced severe pain, and has been unable to speak at times.

Sister Susan Francois, assistant congregation leader at the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace in New Jersey, said she considers working conditions in the facility to be "very close to slavery." "This is part of the business model of GEO Group and CoreCivic, and it's not a secret that the decision makers in DHS and ICE are former GEO Group executives," Francois said. She stated that The GEO Group has a 15-year, $1 billion contract for Delaney Hall and anticipated making $60 million a year in profit at the facility alone, according to company shareholder communications. Detainees at Delaney Hall can work for as little as $1 a day; this wage standard was established in 1941.

The GEO Group operates the medical unit at Delaney Hall and manages more than 50 detention sites across the United States. Federal judges have ordered ICE to release two detainees or provide more details about their medical care. Other medical allegations include a 50-year-old Hungarian detainee who ruptured his Achilles tendon and underwent surgery that attorneys claimed could have been avoided. Additionally, a lawsuit for Sen Miao Lin alleges he collapsed, lost consciousness, and was rushed to the emergency room. Protesters clashed with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) contractors and officers outside Delaney Hall periodically in May and June 2026. A DHS spokesperson referred questions to an earlier press release that denied allegations of poor conditions at Delaney Hall.