House Democrats will travel to Newark, New Jersey, on Wednesday to hold a congressional forum on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility Delaney Hall, following weeks of protests and riots over alleged inhumane conditions inside.Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), the top Democrat on the House homeland security committee, announced over the weekend that some of the panel’s Democratic members will travel midweek to Delaney Hall and conduct oversight of the facility during an event at City Hall.An unspecified number of the hundreds of illegal immigrants detained at Delaney Hall have alleged that the food, medical care, and other conditions inside are subpar, though the Department of Homeland Security has maintained that conditions inside go far beyond those of federal prisons.
“By every account, the conditions at Delaney Hall are deplorable and inhumane. The facility must be shut down,” Thompson said in a statement. “Anyone in the Federal government’s care must be treated humanely and must be provided proper medical care, sanitary conditions, and a safe environment. ICE is clearly failing at their job. With Congressional Republicans refusing to uphold their oversight responsibilities, it is incumbent on us to act.”
