Newark ICE Protests Spark Arrests, Pepper Spray Use, and Oversight Calls

Detainees at the Delaney Hall immigration facility in Newark have launched a hunger and labor strike, drawing fresh scrutiny to the private prison operated by The GEO Group under contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. More than 300 people held at the site stopped eating and refused work assignments over the Memorial Day weekend, issuing a letter that detailed complaints about inedible food, inadequate medical care, and prolonged detention without legal representation.

Advocates and family members say many detainees lack access to counsel or have fallen victim to unqualified immigration lawyers. Others hold court orders for release yet remain locked up, while some who signed voluntary departure papers have waited months without action. The facility, owned by GEO Group, receives roughly a billion dollars in federal funding annually. Detainees who perform maintenance tasks earn one dollar per day, in contrast to the multimillion-dollar compensation package reported for GEO Group CEO George Zoley.

Lawmakers have joined calls for the center’s closure, citing months of warnings from detainees and human rights groups about substandard conditions. The company has faced repeated allegations of neglect at other sites, and critics point to its status as a significant donor to Republican campaigns as evidence of misplaced priorities in federal immigration enforcement.

Outside the facility, protests have continued for more than a week. On Thursday, authorities arrested Brendan John Geier, a 26-year-old from Madison, New Jersey, and charged him with assaulting federal officers after he allegedly bit two ICE agents. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche condemned the incident and warned that additional arrests could follow, noting limited cooperation from local New Jersey law enforcement. Federal officials described the demonstrations as increasingly confrontational, with agents using pepper spray to disperse crowds blocking vehicles.

Detainee advocates argue the unrest stems directly from the conditions inside Delaney Hall. They say the strike represents a collective response to systemic failures rather than isolated violence. GEO Group has not publicly detailed specific steps to address the hunger strike or the letter of grievances.

The episode has intensified debate over the role of private contractors in immigration detention. With GEO Group’s financial ties to the current administration, opponents contend that profit motives undermine basic standards of care. Supporters of stricter enforcement maintain that facilities like Delaney Hall are necessary to manage removal proceedings and protect federal property.

Local elected officials have scheduled further oversight hearings, while families of those inside continue to press for independent inspections and expedited case reviews. The combination of the ongoing strike and external demonstrations has placed the Newark facility under sustained national attention.