Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) said Monday that she “was finally allowed into Delaney Hall” after being denied entry for the past two weeks, though she noted that her tour of the immigration detention center was “closely controlled and limited” by federal authorities.
The governor described the visit in a statement as unacceptable.
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“I was not allowed to meet or speak directly with the detainees, which continues to raise serious questions about the real conditions of the facility and the treatment of those held there,” she posted on X. “I will continue to push to speak with the detainees directly. They deserve to be heard and the public deserves answers.”
Sherrill initially tried getting into the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility on Memorial Day, but the federal agency barred her and other New Jersey Democrats from entering.
The New Jersey Department of Health was later granted access to the site, but the state inspection was limited to one area. Sherrill similarly criticized ICE for not allowing full access to the facility at the time. Following her latest attempt to tour the building, she remained defiant.
“I will keep fighting for full transparency and accountability from ICE alongside our advocates and members of our federal delegation,” Sherrill said. “That means securing full access for the Department of Health to inspect this facility through the lawsuit spearheaded by my Attorney General, continuing our actions that have stopped the construction of the proposed detention facility in Roxbury, and our court fight to ensure that law enforcement may not conceal their identities while on duty.”
The Trump administration wanted to convert a 109-acre former warehouse in Roxbury into a large-scale immigration detention center. However, its efforts were halted in court last month when the federal government agreed to conduct an environmental review before any conversion work proceeds.
The Democratic governor’s office, alongside Roxbury officials, led the legal battle against the federal government.
The governor is also seeking to close Delaney Hall, a private prison owned and operated by the GEO Group in coordination with ICE.
New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport sued the security company last week for preventing the state’s health inspectors from fully investigating the facility to see if there are any health or sanitary violations. Allegations from immigrant advocates and federal lawmakers about the facility’s poor conditions escalated when detainees started a hunger strike, which federal authorities strongly dispute.
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“I will continue advocating for humane treatment at Delaney Hall for detainees and their families, and ultimately to close the facility for good,” Sherrill said.
The Washington Examiner contacted the Department of Homeland Security for comment on Sherrill’s latest statement on Delaney Hall.
