Delaney Hall hunger and labor strike (Newark, New Jersey, 2026-05-22)
| Date | 2026-05-22 (ongoing as of 2026-05-28) |
|---|---|
| Time | Strike announced at a morning rally, Friday 2026-05-22 |
| City | Newark |
| County | Essex County |
| State | New Jersey |
| Country | United States |
| Location details | Delaney Hall ICE detention facility, Doremus Avenue, Newark; solidarity protests outside the perimeter |
| Facility | Delaney Hall (privately operated by GEO Group; ~1,000 beds) |
| Agencies involved | U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ([[ICE]]); Department of Homeland Security (DHS); GEO Group (operator) |
| Operation type | Detainee hunger and labor strike; enforcement response and detainee transfers; clashes with outside protesters |
| Status | Not researched |
| People affected | ~300 detainees on hunger/labor strike; at least 3 protesters arrested outside |
| Arrests reported | At least 3 protesters arrested outside the facility |
| Detentions reported | Strike by approx. 300 of ~1,000 detained; organizer Martín Soto Hernandez transferred to Elizabeth Contract Detention Facility |
| Deportations | N/A (detainees in custody; demands include release) |
| Injuries | Protesters subjected to tear gas, pepper spray and rubber/pepper balls; detainees allege medical neglect |
| Deaths | None during strike (note: Jean Wilson Brutus died at Delaney Hall in Dec 2025, per advocates — separate incident) |
| Agents at the scene | |
| Vehicles at the scene | Transport vans (blocked by protesters); armored/military-style vehicles on perimeter |
| Verification | Not researched |
| Key sources | * Democracy Now! – Protests outside Newark ICE jail support hunger-striking detainees: https://www.democracynow.org/2026/5/27/delaney_hall
|
⚠ Verification status: NOT RESEARCHED — compiled from press reporting on a live, developing event. Details may change daily. Volunteers: confirm against the two-source standard and re-check currency before changing status.
Summary: On Friday 22 May 2026, around 300 detainees at Delaney Hall, a GEO Group-operated ICE detention facility in Newark, New Jersey, launched a hunger and labor strike protesting inhumane conditions and due process violations. In a statement read at a rally, detainees said they were striking not for better conditions but "to demand freedom," calling for the release of the young, elderly and medically vulnerable, a full investigation of the facility, and a visit from Governor Mikie Sherrill. Outside, advocates mounted continuous solidarity protests; agents responded with tear gas, pepper spray and pepper/rubber balls, and at least three people were arrested. Federal officials denied a strike was occurring even as border czar Tom Homan publicly threatened to seek court orders to force-feed strikers.
Full Description
Approximately 300 of the roughly 1,000 people detained at Delaney Hall began refusing meals and withdrawing from the facility's work program — where detainees earn about $1 per day — on 22 May 2026. Detainees and their attorneys alleged spoiled and expired food (including reports of live worms in meals), denial of basic supplies such as toilet paper, lack of air conditioning, overcrowding, and inadequate medical care, including for detainees with serious conditions such as diabetes and cancer.
In a statement released at the launch rally, the strikers framed their action explicitly around freedom rather than conditions: "We are not striking to demand better treatment and conditions. We are doing this to demand freedom." Their demands included the immediate release of those with serious medical conditions and all young and elderly detainees, a complete investigation of the facility and its operations, and a visit from Governor Sherrill.
Solidarity protests ran continuously outside the facility on Doremus Avenue. Tensions escalated on Sunday 24 May when ICE removed strike organizer Martín Soto Hernandez; protesters formed a human chain and blocked a transport van, and masked agents responded by firing tear gas and shoving people to the ground. DHS confirmed it had transferred Soto Hernandez to the Elizabeth Contract Detention Facility, stating it had "dispersed approximately 70 agitators" and removed barricades, and suspended visits to Delaney Hall. Soto Hernandez's wife, Gabriela Soto, spoke publicly in support of the strikers, reiterating that "their demands are to get freed and be heard."
Confrontations continued through the following days, with armored, military-style vehicles deployed on the perimeter, agents removing makeshift barricades, and protesters repeatedly rebuilding them and kneeling in the path of transport vans. Reporting cited pepper spray, rubber/pepper balls and tear gas used against protesters; at least three were arrested. Advocates also reported detainees being threatened with retaliation — transfer and loss of family visitation — for participating.
The federal response was openly dismissive. DHS denied a hunger strike was taking place. Border czar Tom Homan, speaking on Fox News on 26 May, said hunger strikes "never work" and that if physicians judged strikers to be in extreme medical danger, the government would seek a court order to force-feed them — a practice the United Nations and the World Medical Association classify as torture. Separately, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin threatened to cut international flights and customs processing at Newark Airport over the city's sanctuary policy. Governor Sherrill and several members of Congress sought to inspect conditions; Sherrill was reported to have been denied entry by federal officials.
Demands (as stated by strikers)
- Immediate release of detainees with serious medical conditions, and all young and elderly detainees
- A complete investigation of the facility and its operations
- A visit from Governor Mikie Sherrill to meet with detainees
- Framed overall as a demand for freedom and to be heard, not improved conditions
Conditions alleged
- Spoiled / expired food; reports of live worms in meals
- Denial of basic supplies (e.g. toilet paper)
- No air conditioning; overcrowding
- Inadequate medical care, including for diabetes and cancer patients
- Retaliation threats (transfer, loss of visitation) against strikers
Force / Conduct Reported
- Tear gas, pepper spray, and rubber/pepper balls deployed against outside protesters
- Protesters pushed/shoved to the ground by masked agents
- Armored, military-style vehicles on the facility perimeter
- Public threat by border czar Tom Homan to seek court-ordered force-feeding
- Removal and transfer of strike organizer Martín Soto Hernandez (to Elizabeth CDF)
- Visitation to Delaney Hall suspended
Incident Details (as reported)
- Strike began: Friday 22 May 2026 (some sources cite the weekend of 23–24 May)
- Status: Ongoing as of 28 May 2026
- Location: Delaney Hall, Doremus Avenue, Newark, NJ (GEO Group; ~1,000 beds)
- Scale: ~300 detainees striking; at least 3 protesters arrested outside
- Organizer transferred: Martín Soto Hernandez → Elizabeth Contract Detention Facility
- Agencies named: ICE / DHS; GEO Group (operator)
- Disputed facts: DHS denies a strike is occurring; advocates and attorneys document ~300 participants
Agents
No agents individually identified in public reporting; agents were masked. To be completed by the Agent Team. Note potential leadership-level subjects: GEO Group; David Venturella (former GEO Group principal, reported to be named acting ICE Director).
Evidence
- Democracy Now!: https://www.democracynow.org/2026/5/27/delaney_hall
- THE CITY: https://www.thecity.nyc/2026/05/25/protesters-newark-ice-detention-delaney-hall-hunger-strike/
- ABC7 NY: https://abc7ny.com/post/pepper-balls-deployed-tensions-rise-during-protest-delaney-hall-newark-hunger-strike-underway/19173051/
- NBC New York: https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/protester-ice-outside-delaney-hall-detention-facility-nj-detainees-continue-hunger-strike/6505734/
- Jersey Vindicator: https://jerseyvindicator.org/2026/05/23/hundreds-of-ice-detainees-launch-hunger-and-labor-strike-at-delaney-hall/
- NJ Alliance for Immigrant Justice (advocacy / primary statement): https://www.njaij.org/dh_hungerstrike
- Truthout (organizer's wife): https://truthout.org/video/wife-of-hunger-strike-organizer-at-delaney-hall-ice-jail-speaks-out/
Internal Notes
- LIVE EVENT — this page was compiled mid-strike and will date quickly. Re-verify current status before any publication or status change.
- Strong multi-outlet sourcing (Democracy Now!, THE CITY, ABC7, NBC, Jersey Vindicator) plus a primary statement (NJAIJ) — likely promotable to verified after a currency check.
- Name reconciliation: organizer "Martín Soto Hernandez" (detained, transferred to Elizabeth); "Gabriela Soto" is his wife and a public spokesperson. Do not conflate.
- Worm-in-food and specific-condition allegations are advocate/attorney/detainee-reported — attribute clearly; do not state as ICE List-verified fact.
- Context to chase separately, not to be merged here: death of Jean Wilson Brutus at Delaney Hall (Dec 2025, per advocates); GEO Group's rushed opening of the facility over local permitting/inspection objections.
- Force-feeding: note that the UN and World Medical Association classify non-consensual feeding as torture — relevant framing for any Crust News treatment.