Four detainees escaped when tensions boiled over at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility known as Delaney Hall on Thursday in Newark, the Department of Homeland Security confirms.
ICE told lawmakers they got out through a hole in a wall.
“This particular wall in Unit 5 was essentially just drywall with some mesh inside, and that actually led to an exterior wall,” Sen. Andy Kim said. “So that is how the detainees got out.”
Homeland Security says all four of those detainees who got away have a criminal history.
“Additional law enforcement partners have been brought in to find these escapees and a [be on the lookout] has been disseminated,” DHS said in a statement Friday. “We encourage the public to call 911 or the ICE Tip Line: 866-DHS-2-ICE if they have information that may lead to the locating of these individuals.”
Some detainees were relocated to an undisclosed location Friday afternoon. CBS News New York reached out to ICE to learn more about where the detainees were taken, but we have not heard back.
“What we have been able to see is that there has been buses coming out. Sometimes caravans of vans – six vans, seven vans,” Movimiento Cosecha community organizer Li Adorno said.
Protesters tried unsuccessfully to block the transfer, attaching themselves to vans and buses as they traveled down a road. The protesters were physically removed by federal officers, but no arrests were made.
Reports of inhumane conditions inside Newark ICE facility
On Thursday night, tensions rose after reports of inhumane conditions and lack of food inside the federal immigration detention center. One woman whose husband was held inside told CBS News New York that a fight broke out during lunch.
Family members said detainees were allegedly not fed for 20 hours and, even then, were given only a small amount of food.
“We came to visit one family member we have here inside. He called yesterday saying that he was very worried about what was happening inside because they weren’t feeding them. They weren’t getting food and everybody got crazy. They were asking for food,” one family member said.
Matila Dulleh came to see her brother at Delaney Hall. She said he was arrested by ICE on Monday at immigration court in Newark.
“As a citizen for 25 years, I’ve never seen anything like this,” she said. “We’re here to work. As immigrants, we don’t commit crime. We don’t do anything. We’re here to help our family back home because we live in poverty back home.”
“They have posted hours that people can do visits, but still, when they get here, those hours are no longer valid,” said Charlene Walker, executive director of Faith of NJ. “A lot of times, people are driving four, five, six hours just to get here and be turned away. Or if they get inside, it’s only for a few minutes.”
“We’re not going home until our brother gets free. Because this is the United States, it’s the freedom of land and freedom of speech. We need help,” Dulleh said.
One man who was recently released said he was held there for 28 days and described being treated worse than an animal. He said the conditions were unhygienic, he wasn’t given enough food to eat and no one would answer questions about why they were being held.
“This is an ongoing part of just the lawlessness of this administration, putting our own community at risk, breaking up families, targeting people. They say they’re going after criminals. But no. Many of the people that we are talking to, they have no criminal record, background,” Kim said.
Kim and Rep. Rob Menendez showed up at the facility for an unannounced congressional oversight visit Friday, hoping to look into the conditions inside. They also wanted to check if the staff, hired by ICE, were properly vetted.
Kim said ICE is conducting a security review of the facility to decide if it will be shut down.
“This is a perfect example of the shoddiness of this plan. This is a symbol for the brokenness of the Trump administration plan when it comes to immigration,” he said.
DHS denies any widespread unrest, claiming they remain dedicate to providing high quality services.
Weeks of debate over Delaney Hall
It was just over a month ago that Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested for trespassing during a skirmish outside the facility. The charge was later dropped, and he has since sued.
The mayor has claimed the 1,000-bed facility opened without the necessary permits and blocked inspections. The Department of Homeland Security denies those allegations.
“The latest reports from Delaney Hall indicate that four detainees did indeed escape and that their egress was accomplished by kicking through an interior wall. As stated in our ongoing legal complaint, the City of Newark has never received permit applications from GEO Group to construct an interior wall. Had it applied for a Certificate of Occupancy and/or construction permits, the city would have inspected the integrity of that wall. This chaotic outcome is precisely why the city has ordinances requiring all facilities, including this ICE facility, to apply for the proper permits – and why we have taken the GEO Group to court to ensure the safety of both detainees and their own employees,” Baraka said Friday. “This incident is yet another outrageous validation of the negative consequences of a federal government that believes it is above the prudence and practicality of working within legal parameters, and encourages reckless operations of its collaborators.”
Rep. LaMonica McIver is still facing charges of impeding law enforcement during the scuffle. She said she plans to enter a not-guilty plea.
“I am carefully monitoring the situation unfolding at Delaney Hall, and am in contact with local and state law enforcement and officials. I have serious concerns about the reports of abusive circumstances at the facility,” McIver said in a statement Thursday night. “Even now, as we are hearing reports from news organizations and advocates on the ground about a lack of food and basic rights for those inside, the administration appears to be stonewalling efforts to learn the truth. My office has reached out to ICE for answers. ICE has not yet provided them.”