My Visits to Delaney Hall

Dear Friend:

This is Congresswoman Nellie Pou writing to update you about recent developments at the Delaney Hall ICE detention facility in Newark.

Over the past several weeks, I have continued my oversight of the facility as a member of the House Homeland Security Committee. I conducted an inspection of Delaney Hall, spoke directly with detainees, pressed officials for answers, and reviewed reports about ongoing conditions inside the facility. 

What I learned further alarmed me. The facility continues to raise serious questions about detainee treatment, medical care, sanitation, language access, religious accommodations, and transparency. It’s a mess.  

I want to talk about the people I met. Many of the people at Delaney Hall have not been convicted of any crime. These men and women there are not hardened criminals, but people who have been caught up in a deeply unfair system without receiving due process.  

I was also deeply troubled by reports of a hunger strike by detainees protesting conditions inside the facility, including concerns about food and health care. When people in government custody feel they have no choice but to take such drastic action, their concerns deserve to be heard and addressed.  

Recently, families were finally permitted to visit loved ones being held at Delaney Hall. That is a welcome and overdue step. No family should be left in the dark about the well-being of a parent, child, spouse, or relative. Maintaining family connections is a basic matter of dignity and humanity, and I am glad that many families are now able to see their loved ones face to face. 

Also, we received word that over a hundred detainees with medical conditions will be released, including pregnant women and a teenage girl. These are good outcomes we have demanded. 

At the same time, one positive change does not erase the larger problems. Delaney Hall remains a privately operated detention center run under a massive federal contract being funded by American taxpayers. The death of Jean Wilson Brutus shortly after being detained at the facility remains unacceptable. Conditions inside Delaney Hall are deplorable.

My position has not changed. No one should be subjected to mistreatment or neglect while in government custody. We can enforce our immigration laws while also respecting human dignity and constitutional rights. 

I continue to believe this facility should be closed. I will keep using every oversight tool available to me as your Congresswoman to demand accountability, transparency, and a fairer system for everybody.