SouthernWorldwide.com – Newark Mayor Ras Baraka has voiced his disagreement with the tactics employed by the New Jersey State Police at Delaney Hall, following an order from Governor Mikie Sherrill. Baraka described the agency as “a sword,” suggesting their actions were overly aggressive.
The controversy stems from clashes that occurred on Friday outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Newark. Protesters had been ordered by the State Police to relocate to a designated “First Amendment zone,” but they refused.
Recent demonstrations at Delaney Hall were sparked by an open letter from illegal immigrant detainees. These detainees alleged experiencing physical and psychological torture, and claimed they were being denied essential medical care and adequate food.
Governor Sherrill defended the deployment of the New Jersey State Police Public Safety Response team on Saturday. She stated that the action was “absolutely necessary to protect public safety, and avoid escalation from ICE.”
Mayor Baraka, who is also a Democrat, acknowledged the governor’s authority and the necessity of intervention. “Clearly I agree that she was supposed to take action, 100 percent,” Baraka said. “She’s the governor. She’s the leader of this state. Our agencies are going to follow her, her attorney general, her staff. We’re going to defer to her, because she is the leader of this state. And she needed to make strong and aggressive decisions.”
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However, Baraka drew a distinction between the governor’s decision to involve the state police and the specific methods used. “She made a decision to involve the state police, which is probably the tools that she has at her disposal. So I don’t disagree with any of that up to that point. What I disagree with is the tactics that were employed by the state police when they got here,” he explained.
Baraka elaborated on his analogy, stating, “Look, the state police is a sword. If you’re going to use them, you have to expect people to get cut. And those are the thinking that has to go into this.” He emphasized the need for broader discussions regarding on-the-ground tactics moving forward.
The Newark mayor stressed the importance of local authorities and elected officials being involved in all decisions concerning the city. “The local authorities, our public safety director has to be involved in every decision going forward in our city. Right? The elected officials have to be involved, our health department,” Baraka stated. He noted that while there had been some communication, it had not been a collective effort until recently.
Baraka also revealed that the city of Newark has been engaged in ongoing litigation against GEO Group, the operator of Delaney Hall, for the past year. GEO Group holds a national contract with ICE.
The mayor expressed the city’s long-standing advocacy for the closure of Delaney Hall. “And from the beginning, we have advocated for the immediate closure of this building, Delaney Hall, due to the GEO Group’s failure to comply with code ordinances, which we believe pose a serious health and safety risk,” he said.
Baraka highlighted the disturbing reports emerging from the facility. “The reports of detainees suffering miscarriages, receiving inadequate medical care, psychological abuse, is troubling,” he stated. This has prompted the city to expand its lawsuit against Delaney Hall beyond just code enforcement violations.
Newark Business Administrator Eric Pennington stated that he had emailed GEO Group on Monday night. The city requested access to Delaney Hall to ensure the health and safety of the individuals inside. As of Tuesday, no response had been received.
Pennington added that if access is denied, the city, along with partners dedicated to protecting the detainees, will join their lawsuit. The state health department is also expected to be involved in an effort to shut down the facility until it can be inspected and deemed safe.
The city anticipates going to court within the next one to two days to pursue the existing lawsuit. They are awaiting GEO Group’s response and are prepared to take further legal action if necessary.
In response to the allegations, a spokesperson for ICE stated that detainees have access to phones to communicate with family members and lawyers. The spokesperson also claimed that certified dietitians evaluate the meals provided. Furthermore, ICE asserts that its detention standards are higher than those for most U.S. prisons holding American citizens.
