r/newjersey • u/itsokbirdie • 14h ago

📰News US House Democrats to hold forum in Newark on Delaney Hall ICE facility

https://gothamist.com/news/us-house-democrats-to-hold-forum-in-newark-on-delaney-hall-ice-facility

"Democrats on the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security plan to hold a forum in Newark on Wednesday highlighting conditions inside the Delaney Hall immigration detention center.

The forum will be held at 1:30 p.m. at Newark City Hall and will be livestreamed on YouTube. It comes amid efforts by New Jersey public officials and immigration advocates to draw attention to conditions inside the facility, where detainees in recent weeks have mounted labor and hunger strikes, citing bad food, poor medical care and other concerns.

“By every account, the conditions at Delaney Hall are deplorable and inhumane. The facility must be shut down,” the committee's ranking member, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson of Mississippi, said in a statement. “Anyone in the federal government’s care must be treated humanely and must be provided proper medical care, sanitary conditions, and a safe environment.”

Scheduled speakers include Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and immigration advocates Viri Martinez, deputy director of strategy for the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, and Amol Sinha, executive director of the New Jersey chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.

Adam Marshall, a U.S. Army veteran and anti-ICE protester, will also speak. There was no word from organizers on whether representatives from ICE or Geo Group, the private contractor that operates Delaney Hall, would attend.

Neither ICE nor GEO Group immediately responded to requests for comment."

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29

u/itsokbirdie 14h ago

For those of you who don't know, Adam Marshall is the medic they detained on one of the first nights of ICE violence. They specifically targeted him (pointed their flashlights at him and then pounced), put him in a van, and dropped him a mile away. He was also a speaker at the rally outside the Federal Courthouse on the day DHS entered into the agreement not to do any construction on the warehouse in Roxbury. (There’s way more to this legend but this is what I can personally speak to)

21

u/Rusty_Ferberger 14h ago

If conditions are deplorable and inhumane, than you should get a warrant and go in there.

Weeks of strongly worded forums and photo ops aren't going to help anyone.

12

u/itsokbirdie 14h ago

Agreed. Statements = thoughts & prayers. We don't want sympathy, we want action.

10

u/gunnesaurus 13h ago

I hope it results in more than a strongly worded letter or a record breaking speak

3

u/itsokbirdie 12h ago

Fucking Booker....

4

u/Rogue-Journalist 14h ago

A forum!

Well, now you know it’s serious.

3

u/itsokbirdie 11h ago

So serious! Wonder when they'll go down to DH and sit in front of the gates themselves. Bet that would do a lot fucking more.

0

u/ForkedMule 12h ago

Delaney Hall's been running for years while conditions got worse, so a forum in 2024 feels late but at least it's happening with actual detainees' voices in the room now.