Nearly 40 women detained at the Delaney Hall immigration facility in Newark, New Jersey, have announced their participation in a hunger and labor strike, advocates revealed on Thursday. The women, held in unit 1 of the privately run facility, released a new list of demands, calling on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to release women under 21, those with medical conditions, and mothers. They also demand improved conditions and faster immigration case processing.
Background of the Strike
The Delaney Hall facility, operated by the private prison company Geo Group, has become a flashpoint in the Trump administration's mass deportation efforts. Over 300 men launched a hunger and labor strike last month, sparking demonstrations and a heavy police response. The women's strike announcement came a day after President Trump signed a $70 billion spending bill for immigration enforcement, coinciding with strikes at other detention centers.
Advocates and Families Rally
On Thursday morning, advocates, religious leaders, and family members gathered outside Delaney Hall to announce the women's strike. Speakers condemned conditions inside the facility. "Today, we stand with the women demanding release, safe living conditions, medical care, legal representation, family visitation, safe drinking water, and protection from abuse," said Reverend Archange Antoine of the Clergy Coalition for Liberation. "These are not radical demands – they are demands rooted in basic human rights."
The initial strike by men on May 22 included demands such as a meeting with the New Jersey governor, improved conditions, release of sick and elderly detainees, and faster court proceedings. Some women joined that effort, advocates said. Following the strike announcement, protesters gathered in support, and lawmakers conducted oversight visits.
Retaliation Claims
ICE officers responded to protests with pepper spray, Tasers, and batons. New Jersey's governor and Newark's mayor later deployed state and local police, who used tear gas and arrested dozens. Advocates and detainees claim ICE and Geo Group retaliated by canceling family visits, removing communication tablets, and transferring detainees. Approximately 90 people were transferred this week, advocates estimate.
"We know that engaging in a strike is really hard," said Catalina Adorno, a volunteer with immigrant rights group Cosecha. "Not just because of what it does to the physical body, but also because we have seen that the guards and ICE are retaliating against the strikers."
Facility Conditions
Opened last year under a billion-dollar, 15-year contract with Geo Group, Delaney Hall has faced accusations of substandard medical care, inedible food, and neglectful guards. Congressional oversight visits have corroborated detainee claims. A woman whose husband has been detained for two months said, "We all want our family members home. He's not a criminal. He sacrifices himself every day for his family."
Amid the strike, two 18-year-old women and all pregnant women were released, which advocates celebrated as a win.
DHS Denies Strike
The Department of Homeland Security denied a hunger strike is occurring at Delaney Hall. "Another day, another hoax about ICE," a DHS spokesperson said. "There is no hunger strike at Delaney Hall at this time. No detainees are being beaten or abused." The statement claimed detainees receive three meals daily, clean water, clothing, bedding, showers, soap, and toiletries, and comprehensive medical care. DHS also encouraged undocumented immigrants to self-deport. Geo Group did not respond to a request for comment.
Women's Letter
When the first hunger strike began, women inside the facility wrote a letter denouncing conditions, published this week by advocacy groups. "Most of the women detained at this center were illegally detained by ICE," the letter read. "We were taken at the entrances of our immigration court check-ins, at our jobs, taking our kids to school. The treatment we received from this center is deplorable from screams, racism, and bad medical attention."
National Context
Hunger strikes are occurring at other facilities nationwide. In California, detained immigrants at Adelanto and Desert View Annex are striking. DHS denies these strikes, but advocates report retaliation. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, the Northwest detention center in Washington has had nine strikes since 2016. Strikes have also occurred in Texas, Pennsylvania, and Michigan since mid-April.
