Newark Mayor Ras Baraka announced that the city will expand its existing lawsuit against private prison operator GEO Group to include health and safety violations at Delaney Hall, a detention facility the company operates in the city. New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport separately filed a lawsuit alleging GEO Group has denied state health inspectors access to the facility to investigate reports of unsanitary and unsafe conditions.
Baraka said, “This is not a federal facility, these are not federal grounds; it’s a private facility, private workers, and they are subject to state and municipal laws.” He added the city’s legal efforts will continue to target GEO Group rather than federal immigration agencies. The city has been pursuing legal action for over a year, alleging GEO Group reopened Delaney Hall without proper municipal permits.
Davenport said, “The reports of unsanitary and unsafe conditions inside Delaney Hall are extremely concerning, and GEO Group — like any other business and facility in New Jersey — must follow the law.” Her lawsuit seeks to compel the company to allow state inspectors full access to verify conditions inside the facility.
Daily demonstrations began outside Delaney Hall on May 22 after reports emerged that detainees staged a hunger strike over living conditions. Detainees, their attorneys, and advocates have alleged inadequate medical care, poor sanitation, and procedural delays. Some hunger strike participants were reportedly placed in solitary confinement or transferred to other facilities.
The Department of Homeland Security has denied the existence of a hunger strike and called Newark’s lawsuit “frivolous.” Lauren Bis, a DHS spokesperson, said, “All detainees are provided with proper meals, quality water, blankets, medical treatment, and have opportunities to communicate with their family members and lawyers.” She added that four state health representatives completed a one-hour inspection of the food service department on Thursday and that DHS “will continue to grant state and local inspectors’ access to the facility where appropriate.” DHS also stated that “Delaney Hall complies with all required state and local laws.”
GEO Group described the allegations as “baseless accusations” and “part of a coordinated, politically motivated campaign by outside groups to dismantle ICE and federal immigration detention by targeting the government’s facility contractors.” The company stated its services include “around-the-clock access to medical care,” dietitian-approved meals, and religious and specialty diets, and are monitored by on-site ICE personnel and other DHS components. GEO Group and its attorney did not immediately comment on the new lawsuits or Mayor Baraka’s statements.