New Jersey sues operator of Delaney Hall detention center for access

June 2 (UPI) — The New Jersey attorney general filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the GEO Group, operator of the Delaney Hall detention center in Newark, N.J., asking a court to grant health officials access to the facility amid allegations of inhumane conditions.

For more than a week, people outside the center have been protesting the conditions and treatment of detainees, occasionally clashing with law enforcement officials and those in favor of deportation efforts. The federal government denies claims about poor treatments and conditions.

Detainees in the facility began a hunger and labor strike on May 22 in protest, representatives said.

“If the GEO Group — with a $1 billion government contract — has nothing to hide and the conditions inside Delaney Hall are as safe and as sanitary as this private corporation and the Trump administration claim, then there is no legitimate reason why my health inspectors are being kept from full access throughout the building,” said New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill. “The people of New Jersey deserve transparency and accountability, and I will continue using all the power of this office to advocate for the detainees and their families.”

Officials in Delaney Hall allowed only health department inspectors into a limited portion of the facility for an inspection Thursday, and requests for a full inspection have been declined, the attorney general said.

“The reports of unsanitary and unsafe conditions inside Delaney Hall are extremely concerning,” said Attorney General Jennifer Davenport, “and GEO Group — like any other business and facility in New Jersey — must follow the law.”

A press release on the lawsuit noted that conditions at the facility allegedly include spoiled or rotten food, undrinkable water, no access to basic hygiene products and denial of basic medical care and medications. Reports have also said that diseases including COVID-19 and the flu have spread throughout the detainees and that at least one has contracted tuberculosis, which is highly infectious.

Newark also announced Tuesday that it would expand its lawsuit against the GEO Group unless officials can inspect the facility, CNN reported.