Protestors and federal agents clash Wednesday outside Delaney Hall Detention Center in Newark, N.J. New Jersey's attorney general announced a lawsuit Tuesday seeking access for health officials into the facility. Photo by Angelina Katsanis/UPI | License Photo
June 2 (UPI) -- The New Jersey attorney general filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the GEO Group, operator of the Delaney Hall detention center in Newark, N.J., asking a court to grant health officials access to the facility amid allegations of inhumane conditions.
For more than a week, people outside the center have been protesting the conditions and treatment of detainees, occasionally clashing with law enforcement officials and those in favor of deportation efforts. The federal government denies claims about poor treatments and conditions.
Detainees in the facility began a hunger and labor strike on May 22 in protest, representatives said.
"If the GEO Group -- with a $1 billion government contract -- has nothing to hide and the conditions inside Delaney Hall are as safe and as sanitary as this private corporation and the Trump administration claim, then there is no legitimate reason why my health inspectors are being kept from full access throughout the building," said New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill. "The people of New Jersey deserve transparency and accountability, and I will continue using all the power of this office to advocate for the detainees and their families."
