The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has announced the reopening of the Delaney Hall Facility in Newark, New Jersey, marking the first migrant detention center to open under the Trump administration. With a capacity to detain 1,000 migrants, the facility has already drawn strong opposition from local leaders, activists, and residents.
ICE officials defend the decision, citing the facility’s proximity to an international airport as a strategic advantage for the timely processing and deportation of individuals. However, New Jersey officials and immigrant rights advocates argue that the move threatens civil liberties and due process.
ICE’s Justification for Reopening Delaney Hall
According to acting ICE Director Caleb Vitello, reopening Delaney Hall will help streamline immigration enforcement:
“The location near an international airport streamlines logistics and helps facilitate the timely processing of individuals in our custody.”
This aligns with the Trump administration’s intensified immigration policies, which emphasize swift deportations and stricter border enforcement.
New Jersey Officials Strongly Oppose the Facility
The decision to reopen Delaney Hall has been met with strong opposition from New Jersey leaders, including Governor Phil Murphy and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka.
Gov. Phil Murphy’s Administration Statement:
“We are extremely disappointed by the Trump Administration’s new contract with a for-profit prison company to open an ICE detention center in Newark, one of New Jersey’s most populous and diverse cities. Our administration has previously fought to limit such entities opening in our state and will continue to do so.”
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka’s Statement:
“Without satisfying city property-use requirements, inspections, and permits, Delaney Hall cannot lawfully open in Newark at this time. Regardless of the process, an immigrant detention center is not welcomed here. ICE’s stated intention to round up ‘criminals’ is a thin veil that does not conceal their scheme to violate people’s rights, desecrate the Constitution, and disassemble our democracy.”
Public Backlash and Protests in Jersey City
The reopening of the Newark detention facility has sparked protests across New Jersey, including a demonstration at Jersey City’s City Hall, where community members gathered for the “Jersey City Stands With Immigrants” rally.
Community Organizer Li Adorano Speaks Out:
“It’s only a 15, 20-minute drive to the airport, to the international airport, right? They want to treat us like we can just be detained without due process and deported? They want to violate our laws, and to a certain extent, they already do.”
Activists argue that the Trump administration’s immigration policies are directly targeting immigrant communities in New Jersey, despite strong resistance from grassroots organizations and state officials.
Fears Grow Among New Jersey’s Immigrant Communities
The reopening of Delaney Hall has heightened anxiety among immigrants in New Jersey, particularly those with pending immigration cases.
In South Jersey, restaurant owner Celal Emanet—who came to the U.S. on a religious visa—shared his personal experience after being arrested by U.S. Marshals along with his wife.
Emanet on His Ongoing Immigration Struggles:
“We are waiting to get some results, and we don’t see anything. And there were too many years, I had to support my family, you know? I had to work.”
Stories like Emanet’s highlight the growing fear and uncertainty surrounding ICE’s latest enforcement actions.
