Congressional Democrats conduct oversight visit at Delaney Hall following hearing
Members of Congress noted that over the past several weeks, they have conducted more than a dozen oversight tours at Delaney Hall and have consistently been allowed to speak directly with detainees.
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Several of New Jersey’s Congressional delegates said they were unable to meet with or speak to any detainees after a congressional oversight visit to Newark’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility on Wednesday.
Members of Congress noted that over the past several weeks, they have conducted more than a dozen oversight tours at Delaney Hall and have consistently been allowed to speak directly with detainees.
This time, however, they said they were told they would need prior written approval from detainees and must provide at least 24 hours’ notice before any interaction.
The visit comes after weeks of protests outside the facility, where advocates and detainees have raised concerns about what they describe as inhumane conditions.
Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver also questioned recent changes in the detainee population, saying more than 30 people had been transferred to the facility overnight, while overall numbers had dropped by more than 200.
She suggested that the transfers may have been retaliatory and said lawmakers would continue to push back against those actions.
Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew issued his own statement about the situation at Delaney Hall.
"What we saw today was not a serious effort to tell the truth. I was another attempt to push a political narrative, demonize ICE, and mislead the public. I have seen Delaney Hall with my own eyes, and the people making these claims know better. They know the facility is clean, well-run, and provides medical care, recreation, and other basic services. But those facts do not fit their narrative. All their rhetoric does is create chaos, fuel hostility toward law enforcement, and make an already difficult job even more dangerous for the men and women enforcing our immigration laws. The American people deserve leaders who support law enforcement and put American citizens first," Van Drew wrote.
The Department of Homeland Security has maintained that conditions inside Delaney Hall meet appropriate standards and that detainees are being treated humanely.
