Tensions rise outside Delaney Hall detention facility newarkNew Jersey, protesters vs. ICE agent during demonstrations against alleged conditions inside immigration centres.
The facility has been the center of days of protests over inhumane living conditions and reports of detainees going on hunger strikes, NBC New York reported.
Clashes intensified on Sunday when some protesters allegedly threw water bottles at ICE agents, prompting police to use pepper spray.
By early Monday morning, demonstrators were chanting, holding signs and kneeling in front of three vans trying to leave Delaney Hall to prevent possible detainee transfers.
“I think it’s clear that people are willing to take risks to try to resist everything this administration is doing on immigration,” community activist Kyler Dineen told NBC New York.
Video from the scene showed ICE workers wearing face masks and holding batons standing near an armored vehicle outside the facility.
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Hunger strike charges
Supporters and protesters claimed that detainees at the facility initiated hunger strikes and work stoppages over conditions inside Delaney Hall.
“They are now on strike and hunger strike, protesting their situation but also demanding their release,” a source told NBC New York.
Protesters said they feared detainees participating in the strike could be transferred to other ICE facilities.
Demonstrations have raged for days, with activists demanding more transparency about deteriorating conditions inside detention centres.
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New Jersey governor denies entry
New Jersey Governor Mickey Sherrill said she was denied entry to the facility despite trying to inspect it in person. “I’ve been advocating for jail time for days,” Sherrill said, according to NBC New York. “I just got officially denied that this morning.”
at the same time, Department of Homeland Security In a statement, he denied the claims of abuse.
The agency said detainees will receive “comprehensive medical care” while in custody, as well as adequate meals, hygiene products and communications services.
Still, politicians and protesters alike have questioned the accuracy of these claims.
“I think everyone needs to be treated humanely, and the biggest thing we’re protesting is the condition of this facility,” Dineen said.
