TRENTON, N.J. — Governor Mikie Sherrill has voiced strong support for a newly announced civil rights investigation into Delaney Hall, the privately operated immigration detention facility in Newark run by The GEO Group, as scrutiny of the facility intensifies after reports of a third detainee death surfaced this week.
New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport announced Friday that her office’s Division on Civil Rights had issued investigative subpoenas regarding Delaney Hall. The investigation will examine whether actions or inaction by GEO Group employees violated the civil rights of people detained at the facility.
“New Jersey has both a legal and a moral duty to stand up for the civil rights of people within our state,” Davenport said. “For people who are held involuntarily, including by a private corporation like GEO Group, those rights include the right to humane treatment and adequate medical care.”
In a statement posted on X, Sherrill said the investigation was “the right and necessary course of action” after repeated efforts by state officials to inspect the facility were blocked.
“We’ve heard the reports of disturbing conditions and have been heartbroken by recent deaths of detainees at the facility,” Sherrill wrote.
Sherrill’s renewed call comes just days after U.S. Senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim introduced legislation that would require ICE to permanently close Delaney Hall within 90 days, arguing that repeated deaths and allegations of unsafe conditions warrant the facility’s shutdown.
The governor accused U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and The GEO Group of continuing to block New Jersey’s attempts to conduct a full health inspection. She also cited reports that detainee visitations have been suspended, raising additional concerns about transparency and accountability.
According to the Attorney General’s office, detainees have also reported spoiled food and a lack of access to basic hygiene products, including toilet paper, toothpaste, and menstrual products.
Sherrill reiterated her long-standing opposition to privately operated detention centers, repeating her position that Delaney Hall should be closed.
“My administration will continue to do everything in our power to hold ICE and The GEO Group accountable to New Jersey laws,” she said.
Reports of a Third Death Add to Scrutiny
The investigation was announced one day after U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez said he had learned of a third death connected to Delaney Hall during an unannounced oversight visit to the facility earlier this week.
New Jersey has already confirmed two previous deaths. Edwin Lopez-Cornejo, a 41-year-old Salvadoran man, died on August 1 after suffering a medical emergency. His family has alleged that he was denied consistent access to medication for his ongoing health conditions. Jean Wilson Brutus, a 41-year-old Haitian man, died in December shortly after arriving at the facility.
Part of an Ongoing Legal Dispute
Friday’s announcement builds on an existing legal battle. In June, the Attorney General’s office sued The GEO Group on behalf of the New Jersey Department of Health, seeking a court order requiring the company to allow state inspectors access to Delaney Hall for health inspections.
The new civil rights investigation now runs alongside that litigation. If investigators determine that civil rights violations occurred, the Attorney General’s office said it will pursue civil enforcement under the New Jersey Civil Rights Act and the Law Against Discrimination.
A spokesperson for The GEO Group referred questions to ICE. Spokespersons for ICE and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) could not be reached for comment.
DHS has previously denied allegations of hunger strikes and poor conditions at the facility, while the Trump administration has defended its immigration detention policies and rejected earlier calls from New Jersey officials to close Delaney Hall.
Sources: Governor Mikie Sherrill (X); New Jersey Office of the Attorney General; New Jersey Monitor