Protesters Block Van During Detainee Transfer
Demonstrators successfully intercepted a transfer van at the Delaney Hall Detention Center in Newark on Sunday evening. This event unfolded as Martin Soto, a detainee involved in a hunger and labor strike, was being removed from the facility to be relocated to another immigration detention center.
Witnesses at the Doremus Avenue Detention Center reported that protesters surrounded the vehicle as Soto was escorted outside. Tensions remained high with clashes continuing well into the night.
The attempted transfer occurred just two days after around 300 detainees initiated a hunger strike and labor strike. Family members and activists rallied outside Delaney Hall on Friday, where several detainees participated in a telephone vigil, announcing their commitment to the strikes.
The detainees’ demands included a call for Governor Mikie Sherrill to visit the detention center, highlighting concerns about the living conditions and issues surrounding due process and the immigration court system.
In a recent visit, Senator Andy Kim and Representative Rob Menendez criticized the substandard conditions at Delaney Hall. They expressed concerns over dirty restrooms, mistreatment by security personnel, and insufficient medical services.
On Sunday afternoon, Governor Sherrill addressed the situation in a statement, expressing her deep concern for the reported conditions within the detention center. She labeled the living conditions as dangerous, inhumane, and unconstitutional, reaffirming her longstanding opposition to private detention facilities.
Sherrill indicated that she had reached out to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to request access to Delaney Hall, emphasizing her commitment to monitor the situation closely and ensure that humane standards are upheld.
However, some activists, including Cathy O’Leary of Pax Christi, criticized Sherrill’s response as insufficient. She asserted that the governor’s approach fails to recognize the larger issue: the need to end ICE detention entirely and prioritize the release of detainees over merely improving conditions. O’Leary argued that current responses are missing the urgency of the moment.
