May 22nd, 2026
MEDIA CONTACT: Catalina Adorno, 201-598-44 movimientocosechainfo@gmail.
Family: Gabriella Soto, 937-930-3179
NEWARK, NJ – Right now, women and men inside Delaney Hall are refusing to eat and comply with the Geo Group’s $1 dollar a day work program. Hundreds of people detained began the strike as a result of a family-led protest with the demand of a meeting with Governor Mikie Sherill. This was announced via phone this morning during a press conference organized by family members outside.
Via phone call, detainees said they are tired of the inhumane conditions they are subjected to inside, tired of the denial of medical care and tired of finding worms in their food.
The hunger and work strike began this morning and the detainees are already facing retribution. We just received the following message from a family member: “The guards are withholding phone and tablet privileges from all the people inside.”
This action is being witnessed and supported by Eyes on ICE New Jersey (EOINJ), alongside community members, family members and volunteers maintaining a 24-hour solidarity presence outside Delaney Hall. We will continue holding a 24-hour vigil, standing in unwavering solidarity with the brave men and women inside who are engaged in this collective act of resistance.
Throughout the day, volunteers stationed outside have remained in direct communication with detainees inside. Despite the risks they are facing, detainees have reported being in high spirits, strengthened and empowered by the knowledge that their families and community are standing with them.
This is not a cry of despair. It is an extraordinary act of courage, dignity, and collective resistance.
Their demands are clear:
- An immediate meeting with Governor Mikie Sherrill so she can witness conditions firsthand and hear directly from those detained.
- The immediate release of the most vulnerable detainees, including elderly individuals, young people, and those with serious medical conditions.
The individuals inside Delaney Hall are not asking for more “comfortable” conditions. They are demanding their fundamental human rights: dignity, safety, medical care and freedom.
Families, loved ones, faith leaders, advocates, and activists across New Jersey are urgently calling on residents to contact Governor Mikie Sherrill and demand that she respond immediately to the crisis unfolding inside Delaney Hall.
As this hunger and labor strike continues, the message from inside is unmistakable:
They are not giving up. They are standing together. We are standing with them.