New Jersey has filed a lawsuit against the private operator of an immigration detention center in Newark, alleging the company blocked state health officials from inspecting the facility despite mounting concerns over unsanitary conditions and mistreatment of detainees.
The complaint, lodged Tuesday in Essex County Superior Court, seeks a court order granting the New Jersey Department of Health “immediate entry” to Delaney Hall, a former halfway house run by The GEO Group. State officials argue they have been denied a full inspection since May, when they were only allowed into the food service area.
According to the lawsuit, inspectors were barred from examining the medical unit, bathrooms, ventilation, HVAC systems, and sleeping quarters. The state claims this violates a statute giving health authorities the right to access any premises where they suspect health code violations.
The legal action follows weeks of unrest at the facility, where hundreds of detainees launched a hunger and labor strike last month to protest living conditions. Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) and Representative Rob Menendez (D-NJ) visited the center but were only able to speak with detainees outside. Governor Mikie Sherrill (D) was also turned away at the door, as previously reported in coverage of the governor's blocked visit.
Lawmakers reported detainees described being served rotten food and denied essential medical care. The lawsuit includes alarming accounts: a pregnant woman said she was not receiving obstetrics and gynecological care, and another woman who suffered a miscarriage was left to manage it alone without medical help.
State Health Commissioner Raynard Washington emphasized that any facility housing people in New Jersey must meet basic health standards. “That includes Delaney Hall,” he said in a statement, citing risks of overcrowding, poor hygiene, and the unchecked spread of communicable diseases like COVID-19 and flu.
The Trump administration has denied allegations of substandard conditions or a hunger strike. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin dismissed the lawsuit as “a political stunt by New Jersey sanctuary politicians for fundraising clicks.” His comments came amid protests outside the facility that led to clashes with law enforcement, including an incident where Senator Kim was pepper-sprayed, as detailed in reports of the protest.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka (D) imposed a 9 p.m. curfew around the detention center to contain demonstrations, and Governor Sherrill deployed state police. The lawsuit notes that the state’s health inspectors attempted to enter on May 27-28 but were blocked from key areas, leaving officials unable to assess health risks to detainees and the broader public.
New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport argued that GEO Group, like any business in the state, must comply with health laws. “The reports of unsanitary and unsafe conditions inside Delaney Hall are extremely concerning,” she said, vowing to work with Sherrill and Washington to ensure detainees are treated with dignity.
GEO Group did not respond to requests for comment. The case highlights ongoing tensions between state authorities and federal immigration enforcement, with the facility becoming a flashpoint in the broader debate over detention conditions and access for oversight.
