Essex Commissioners Demand Action At Controversial ICE Prison: ‘You Should Be Ashamed’

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Several county commissioners are demanding immediate action to address what they allege is “inhumane and unspeakable treatment” taking place at Delaney Hall, a federal immigration detention center in Newark.

Last week, several members of the Essex County Board of Commissioners sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem (read the full text below).

The commissioners claim that conditions inside the prison – which is run by the GEO Group, one of the largest private prison companies in the nation – are getting “increasingly more concerning,” with reports allegedly including lockdowns that last for days, verbal abuse from guards, inaccessible commissary funds and blocked phone numbers.

Other complaints have included claims of bad food and subpar access to medical care – allegations that the GEO Group has denied.

“We remain dedicated to providing high-quality services to those in our care, including include around-the-clock access to medical care, in-person and virtual legal and family visitation, general and legal library access, translation services, dietician-approved meals, religious and specialty diets, recreational amenities, and opportunities to practice their religious beliefs,” a spokesperson previously told Patch.

The company's previous assurances haven't stopped the complaints from advocates and local officials, however.

“You should be ashamed of this facility and the treatment of those being detained here,” the commissioners' letter says. “The detainees of Delaney Hall deserve to be treated with dignity and respect as they await a trial, not treated inhumanely.”

“You are putting human lives at risk by continuing to deny vital health and nutritional care to these people under your care,” the commissioners said.

The commissioners also criticized the visitation process for people waiting to see their family members. Visitors say they have been forced to stand outside on a shadeless sidewalk this summer amid scorching temperatures in one of the state’s worst “urban heat islands,” and kept waiting outside in a torrential storm near a metal fence this fall.

• See Related: Visitors To ICE Prison Forced To Wait Near Metal Fence During Storm

The letter is signed by the following commissioners: Tyshammie Cooper, Romaine Sermons, Brendan Gill, Wayne Richardson, Robert Mercado, A’Dorian Murray-Thomas, and Leonard Luciano.

A spokesperson for the GEO Group referred Patch to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for comment on the commissioners’ letter. We will update this article with any reply we receive.

>> Read More: Here’s How ICE Detainees Escaped Prison In New Jersey, Feds Say

>> Read More: ICE Detention Center In NJ Is First To Open Under Trump's New Term

The commissioners’ letter from Oct. 24 follows below:

“We are writing to express our extreme dissatisfaction with the conditions at the ICE detention center, Delaney Hall, in Newark, New Jersey. The conditions for both detainees and visitors are increasingly cause for concern and do not meet the standard we set for facilities in Essex County.

“As County Commissioners, we have a duty to protect and care for the residents and visitors of Essex County, and the reports coming from Delaney Hall are extremely concerning. This facility has no adequate parking or waiting facilities for visitors, which results in inhumane treatment of members of our community. This summer, visitors were forced to wait for hours in the driveway of the facility in over 90-degree heat and with no areas of shade. In September, visitors were forced to wait along a chain-link metal fence in the middle of an electrical storm with no cover or protection from the conditions. This posed a serious threat of electrocution by lightning on the grounds of Delaney Hall. Just this month, on October 11th and 12th, the region was hit by a storm that brought intense precipitation and temperatures that reached the threshold for hypothermia. We are witnessing first-hand instances of visitors being placed in increasingly dangerous and threatening conditions in the jurisdiction of GEO Group.

“Furthermore, reports of the conditions within the detention center grow increasingly concerning by the day. Visitors share accounts of inaccessible commissary funds, blocked phone numbers, unpredictable schedules, lack of medical care, non-labeled medication, destructive days-long lockdowns, verbal abuse from the guards, and more.

“Additionally, this facility does not provide adequate parking spaces for its own employees who have been instructed to illegally park in the Essex County Correctional Facility parking lot. If GEO Group employees or ICE vehicles continue to violate the Essex County Correctional Facility parking lot, tickets and or towing expenses will follow suit. We have repeatedly told the employees that they are not allowed to park in our lot, and thus, we want to give you this opportunity to resolve this issues before we take any further action.

“You should be ashamed of this facility and the treatment of those being detained here. The detainees of Delaney Hall deserve to be treated with dignity and respect as they await a trial, not treated inhumanely. You are putting human lives at risk by continuing to deny vital health and nutritional care to these people under your care.

“In agreement with the delegation of New Jersey Congressional members, we urge Delaney Hall to immediately provide humane accommodations for detainees and visitors, including:

“Allowing official oversight visits by the federal, state, county, and municipal governments Adequate indoor or covered waiting areas protected from inclement weather Consistent visiting hours and reasonable timeframes for processing to avoid excessive delays Clear communication and fair procedures to ensure transparency and accountability Reliable access to restrooms Adequate access to parking for your employees and visitors On-site access to cover-up garments for dress code violations Medical care for detainees Unrestricted access to their commissary accounts Unblocked phone access to their families and legal counsel Accurate reporting of incidents occurring within the facility

“No one deserves to be treated like this, especially when visiting a loved one who was taken from them, sometimes without a warrant or due process. This corrective action must be taken to address the inhumane and unspeakable treatment of the detainees and their families at Delaney Hall. We request a written response detailing the steps your facility will take to address these issues by November 1, 2025.”

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