Gov. Mikie Sherrill: I Was Denied Access Into Immigration Facility Delaney Hall
Image of Gov. Mikie Sherrill courtesy of New Jersey Government
AC JosepH Media
NEWARK — Gov. Mikie Sherrill said Monday she was denied entry by federal officials when she attempted to inspect Delaney Hall, the long?controversial immigration detention facility in Newark.
The Trump administration has used the privately run facility to detain immigrants since 2025, and Sherrill said access has repeatedly been blocked on partisan grounds — at times in ways she argued violate federal law.
“I have long opposed private detention facilities and will continue to advocate for the closure of Delaney Hall and against any expansion of mass detention facilities in New Jersey, like the proposed facility in Roxbury,” Sherrill said in a statement.
“I came today to hear from families and advocates, and what I heard from them was heartbreaking. I will continue to hold ICE accountable, and I remain grateful for the work of our federal delegation, including Senator Kim and Representatives Menendez, Pou, McIver, and Mejia, who joined me today.”
Sherrill said that as governor, she will continue pressing for transparency, constitutional protections, and humane conditions for those held inside the facility.
“The people inside Delaney Hall are fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, and members of our community,” she said. “In New Jersey, we believe in the rule of law and that everyone deserves to be treated with basic dignity. We have a duty to safeguard the rights, health, and well-being of everyone within our borders.”
Delaney Hall remains one of the largest immigrant detention centers on the East Coast and a flashpoint in ongoing legal and political battles over private detention in New Jersey.
The facility, operated by the GEO Group under contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), has faced years of scrutiny over its operations, legal status, and detainee conditions. Opened in 2000, Delaney Hall has served multiple purposes — from housing federal and county detainees to functioning as an ICE detention center between 2011 and 2017, and later as a drug rehabilitation and halfway house until it was vacated in 2023.
It reopened in 2025 after a federal court struck down New Jersey’s 2021 ban on private immigrant detention contracts, allowing GEO Group to resume operations. The move immediately triggered conflict with the City of Newark.
Mayor Ras Baraka has argued the company lacked proper building and safety compliance, and the city sued, claiming Delaney Hall did not have a valid certificate of occupancy. GEO Group countered that a 2007 certificate remained in effect — a point Newark continues to dispute. The case was later moved to federal court.
Tensions escalated further in 2025 when government officials attempting an inspection were arrested during an altercation at the site.
Weeks later, detainees reported deteriorating conditions and food shortages, culminating in a small riot last June in which four detainees escaped by breaking through a sheet?rock exterior wall. Two were recaptured within three days.
Delaney Hall’s future remains uncertain as legal challenges, community opposition, and national debates over immigration enforcement continue to shape the facility’s fate.
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