Mikie Sherrill decries ‘unacceptable’ visit to Delaney Hall
Rep. Mikie Sherrill criticized conditions at Delaney Hall after a recent visit in which she was barred from speaking directly with detainees, calling the limited access “unacceptable” and renewing demands for transparency at the immigration detention facility.
Sherrill said that being prevented from meeting detainees raises serious concerns about how people held at the facility are treated. She pledged to keep pressing for direct conversations with those inside, arguing that detainees deserve to be heard and that the public deserves clear answers.
Her latest attempt follows an earlier effort over Memorial Day, when Immigration and Customs Enforcement blocked her and other New Jersey Democrats from entering the building. The New Jersey Department of Health was later allowed in, but its inspection was limited to just one area — a scope Sherrill and other officials criticized as insufficient.
Sherrill vowed to continue pushing for full transparency and accountability from ICE, working alongside advocates and members of the state’s federal delegation. She cited several priorities: securing full access for the Department of Health to conduct a comprehensive inspection through an ongoing state lawsuit; continuing efforts that have halted plans for a new detention facility in Roxbury; and supporting the court challenge to prevent on-duty law enforcement from concealing their identities.
The Roxbury proposal — a plan advanced during the previous presidential administration to convert a 109-acre former warehouse into a large-scale detention center — stalled in court last month after the federal government agreed to conduct an environmental review before any conversion work could proceed. State officials, along with local leaders in Roxbury, led the legal effort that prompted the pause.
At the same time, the governor’s office has sought to close Delaney Hall, a privately run facility operated by the GEO Group in coordination with ICE. New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport recently filed suit against the security company, alleging it blocked state health inspectors from conducting a full examination to determine whether there are any health or sanitation violations.
Concerns about conditions at Delaney Hall have grown amid accounts from immigrant advocates and federal lawmakers, particularly after reports of a detainee hunger strike. Federal authorities have strongly disputed those accounts.
Sherrill said she will keep advocating for humane treatment of detainees and their families and, ultimately, for the permanent closure of Delaney Hall. She emphasized that sustained scrutiny, lawful oversight, and public accountability are necessary to ensure the facility meets basic standards and respects the rights of those held there.
