Dozens of women held at the Delaney Hall immigration detention facility in New Jersey have announced their participation in a hunger and labour strike. Advocates confirmed on Thursday that nearly 40 women, detained in unit 1 of the controversial privately-run centre, have joined the protest, outlining a new set of demands.
Among their key requests, the women are calling for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to release specific vulnerable groups, including women under the age of 21, those with pre-existing medical conditions, and mothers. Additionally, they are demanding significant improvements to the living conditions within the facility and a faster progression of their immigration cases through the legal system.
Delaney Hall, operated by the private prison company Geo Group, has become a focal point amid the Trump administration's immigration enforcement efforts. Last month, over 300 men at the facility initiated a similar hunger and labour strike, which garnered public support and led to demonstrations outside the centre. These protests were met with an aggressive response from law enforcement, including the deployment of pepper spray, Tasers, and tear gas, leading to multiple arrests.
The women's decision to strike comes just a day after President Trump signed a $70 billion spending bill allocated to immigration enforcement agencies. This development also coincides with reports of similar strikes occurring in other immigration detention centres across the United States. Advocates and religious leaders gathered outside Delaney Hall to voice their support, with Archange Antoine of the Clergy Coalition for Liberation stating, "These are not radical demands – these are demands rooted in basic human rights."
Since the initial men's strike began on 22nd May, concerns have been raised by advocates and detainees about alleged retaliation from ICE and Geo Group. These claims include the cancellation of family visitations, the removal of communication tablets from units, and the transfer of approximately 90 detainees to other facilities. The Delaney Hall facility itself, which opened last year under a billion-dollar, 15-year contract with Geo Group, has faced persistent accusations of inadequate medical care, inedible food, and neglectful guards, with multiple congressional oversight visits reportedly corroborating these claims.