Concerns grow over conditions at ICE facility in New Jersey

Democratic members of Congress visited a federal immigration detention center in the US state of New Jersey on Wednesday after some elected officials were refused entry last week. 

The facility in question, Delaney Hall in Newark, has become the latest flashpoint in tensions over President Trump's immigration agenda.

New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat, said she was denied entry on Monday morning when she tried visiting the center with state lawmakers. 

That set off a media firestorm.

What happened at Delaney Hall?

Protesters gathered outside the facility on Friday after word spread that guards were trying to move a detainee involved in an ongoing hunger strike inside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility.

Roughly 300 detainees are reported to have launched a hunger strike last weekend at Delaney Hall over subpar living conditions, according to the New Jersey Monitor.

Lawyers representing some of the detainees told media outlets that detainees were given expired food and did not have access to medical care.

The Department of Homeland Security has denied allegations of poor conditions inside the facility and accused New Jersey politicians of "spreading smears" about ICE.

Lawmakers visit detention center as unrest continues

Adriano Espaillat, a member of the US House of Representatives and Manhattan Democrat, said Wednesday after touring Delaney Hall that detainees were refusing to eat over what he described as "inhumane" conditions.

"We will shut this center down. We will shut it down," he vowed after the roughly hourlong visit.

US Congresspeople Jerry Nadler and Dan Goldman, also Manhattan Democrats, later spoke with protesters and family members of detainees demonstrating outside the facility's security gate.

"We want to make sure the conditions here are going to be dealt with," said Goldman, shortly before the two lawmakers entered the facility. 

What do we know about protests outside the New Jersey ICE facility?

Clashes between ICE agents and protesters on Sunday became so tense that some protesters were pepper-sprayed after throwing water bottles at agents, NBC News reported.

The protests continued Monday morning, with activists chanting and holding up signs. CBS News reported that ICE agents in riot gear arrived Monday afternoon to remove protesters blocking the facility entrance.

Nearly 900 detainees were being held at Delaney Hall as of early April, NBC News reported, citing ICE data.

Edited by: Sean Sinico 

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