This afternoon, federal agents arrested Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka outside of Delaney Hall, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility. Joined by U.S. Representatives Bonnie Watson Coleman, LaMonica McIver, and Robert Menendez Jr., Mayor Baraka was attempting to join a facility tour of Delaney Hall to investigate conditions within the detention center, amid concerns about the treatment of detainees.
Delaney Hall is operated by the private prison corporation GEOGroup under a long-term federal contract with ICE. The facility reopened earlier this year without securing required local permits, safety inspections, or a certificate of occupancy — actions that city officials argue violate local and state law. In response, New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP) releases the following statement.
Nicole Rodriguez, President, NJPP:
“NJPP is profoundly alarmed over Mayor Ras Baraka’s arrest. This incident underscores longstanding concerns about the privatization of immigration enforcement and the dangerous lack of accountability that comes with it.
“Oversight and transparency in public policy — especially when human lives are at stake — should never be met with obstruction or criminalization.
“Decades of research and investigative reporting have shown that privately run detention centers, driven by profit, often cut corners on safety and care, leading to widespread reports of medical neglect, dangerous conditions, and coercive labor practices. Privatization removes key tools for elected officials and communities to ensure accountability and uphold basic standards of care.
“NJPP calls for a full, independent investigation into Mayor Baraka’s arrest and the legal status of Delaney Hall’s operations. No facility should be allowed to operate without full transparency, oversight, and compliance with public safety and health standards. We also urge federal lawmakers to respect New Jersey’s existing ban on private immigration detention facilities.
“As a nonpartisan, research-driven organization, NJPP stands firmly for humane, just, and transparent immigration policies that uphold the dignity and rights of all New Jersey residents.”
Read our statement on Delaney Hall’s opening.
Read more about immigrant detention in New Jersey.
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