Newark, NJ — A growing legal battle over conditions inside the Delaney Hall immigration detention facility intensified Tuesday as Newark Mayor Ras Baraka announced an expanded effort to shut down the center, arguing that newly obtained evidence shows detainees are being housed in conditions that make the facility “uninhabitable.” The move sets up a direct conflict with White House border czar Tom Homan, who recently declared the facility would remain open.
Speaking during an interview on CNN News Central, Baraka said the city’s latest legal strategy goes beyond earlier code-enforcement concerns and now focuses on health and human-rights allegations raised by detainees and public health officials. According to the mayor, the city has obtained a letter from detainees describing conditions inside the facility and has faced resistance when seeking access for inspections.
New Legal Challenge Targets Facility Conditions
Baraka said Newark’s initial lawsuit centered on code enforcement issues and the city’s inability to gain access to inspect the facility. He argued that the latest effort includes additional evidence and named plaintiffs, strengthening the case against the operators of Delaney Hall.
The mayor also claimed that both state and local health departments sought access to the facility but were denied entry. Those developments, he said, prompted the city to broaden its legal arguments to focus on detainee welfare and living conditions.
“We believe that it should be shut down because we have actual irrefutable evidence now that the place is uninhabitable,” Baraka said during the CNN interview.
Key Points
• Newark Mayor Ras Baraka announced an expanded effort to close Delaney Hall.
• The city claims new evidence from detainees supports allegations about facility conditions.
• Baraka directly disputed Tom Homan’s assertion that the detention center will remain open.
The dispute has become increasingly public as federal immigration officials and local leaders offer sharply different accounts of conditions inside the facility.
Homan, the Trump administration’s border czar, recently stated that Delaney Hall “isn’t going anywhere” and said detainees at the facility are being legally held under federal law. During the CNN interview, Baraka rejected Homan’s assessment and questioned his authority over the property’s future.
According to Baraka, the city is pursuing legal action against GEO Group, the private company that operates the facility, rather than the federal government itself. He argued that because Delaney Hall is privately operated, it remains subject to state and local laws despite its federal detention contract.
“They don’t have the jurisdiction to keep the place open or even close it down,” Baraka said. “It’s not a federal facility.”
Conflicting Accounts Inside Delaney Hall
The disagreement extends beyond legal authority and into questions about daily life inside the detention center.
Homan said he recently conducted an unannounced visit to Delaney Hall after reports surfaced alleging inhumane conditions and a hunger strike among detainees. According to Homan, he ate the same meal provided to detainees and found the food acceptable. He also disputed reports that a hunger strike had occurred.
“I had spaghetti and meat sauce,” Homan said, describing the meal he received during the visit. He characterized allegations about conditions inside the facility as unfounded.
Baraka countered that elected officials who have engaged with the issue have described conditions differently. During the interview, he referenced New Jersey Sen. Andy Kim and members of New Jersey’s congressional delegation, saying their understanding of conditions inside Delaney Hall did not match Homan’s account.
The mayor also suggested that high-profile visits may not accurately reflect routine operations at the detention center.
“When the VIPs come, I’m sure they get VIP treatment,” Baraka said.
