SouthernWorldwide.com – Figures from the commissary at the Delaney Hall ICE detention center in Newark may cast doubt on reports of a hunger strike, as spending on snacks and other items reportedly surged during the alleged strike period.
Several Democratic lawmakers have visited the facility and described dire conditions and poor food quality. However, a source familiar with Delaney Hall’s operations has disputed these claims.
The source indicated that the revenue from Delaney Hall’s commissary, where detainees can purchase personal items, tripled during the timeframe that a hunger strike was reportedly taking place.
Regional news outlets, such as Gothamist, reported that detainees at Delaney Hall initiated a hunger and labor strike around May 23.
Shortly thereafter, Senator Andy Kim, D-N.J., visited the center, echoed these reports, and was later caught in the crossfire of pepper spray during a confrontation between external agitators and ICE agents outside the facility.
Other elected officials, including Representatives Robert Menendez Jr. and Bonnie Watson-Coleman, D-N.J., made similar statements regarding the conditions.
On May 26, Delaney Hall housed 724 individuals, and its commissary generated $11,498 in revenue for the preceding week.
As the reported hunger strike continued, this weekly revenue saw a significant increase.
By June 1, the detainee population had decreased to 621, yet the commissary recorded weekly sales exceeding $30,000.
Despite a 14% reduction in the detainee population, commissary revenue nearly tripled. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials suggested that detainees involved in the alleged “strike” were opting for snacks instead of their scheduled meals.
“The hunger strike hoax was actually just Delaney Hall detainees trading nutritious meals for Honey Buns and Hot Cheetos,” stated Deputy Press Secretary Lauren Bis.
“It’s time for sanctuary politicians to drop the political theater and work with us to get criminal illegal aliens out of our communities.”
Bis’s remarks were supported by her superior, Secretary Markwayne Mullin, who testified before Congress. Mullin stated that a significant portion of the dispute stemmed from inmates being dissatisfied with Americanized food that did not resemble the cuisine from their home countries.
Mullin humorously remarked that Delaney Hall is not intended to be a “Holiday Inn.”
A commissary menu provided by DHS listed numerous items available for purchase by detainees, including lotions, birthday cards, Cheetos, summer sausage, and Hawaiian Punch.
Characterizations of the facility’s conditions appeared to be less severe this week following a tour by Rep. Herb Conaway Jr., D-N.J., accompanied by Rep. Donald Norcross, D-N.J.
Conaway, who represents the former district of Rep. Andy Kim in Burlington County, released a statement expressing that he was “horrified and outraged” by reports of inhumane conditions and alleged lack of due process.
Conaway, a physician, stated that he and Norcross toured the mess hall and infirmary. While he called for ICE to shut down the facility until Trenton officials could conduct a formal inspection and review, he did not personally witness “major concerns” during his visit.
“I had the opportunity, along with Congressman Norcross, to meet with about 20 women. Some have been here for over a year. Others have been a certain several months. Many of them had concerns, a lot of concerns. Some regarding their health. Most had family members, children; loved ones outside of this facility and certainly they miss them very deeply and want to get back to their lives,” Conaway said in a separate recorded statement made outside the gate.
“It’s critical that the appropriate state authorities get into this building and get into this right away, do their job, and then let the public understand what’s going on. I think that’ll be better for everybody if that’s done.”
Last week, Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., participated in a separate tour with other lawmakers and offered a different perspective.
Nadler began criticizing the conditions at the center even before reaching the microphone, alleging that the “food is very sparse” and that inmates only eat at 4 a.m., noon, and 4 p.m.
“And very often, they eat maggots in the food,” he claimed, an allegation denied by DHS officials.
He also asserted that medical services were limited and that inmates faced long waits for treatment, a claim echoed by protesters who later shouted at ICE agents outside the facility.
However, ambulances from a local Newark hospital were observed arriving regularly throughout Wednesday and Thursday, seemingly contradicting claims that detainees were not receiving medical attention.
Given the assertions by lawmakers like Nadler regarding sparse food and unsanitary conditions, DHS officials argued that the commissary spending figures undermine claims that detainees were broadly refusing food during the reported hunger strike.
