Protesters have blockaded the Delaney Hall immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey, as detainees began a hunger strike this week [1].

The unrest highlights growing tensions over the treatment of immigrants in federal custody and the legal battle over due process within the U.S. detention system.

The hunger strike began on May 22, 2026 [4]. By Wednesday, May 27, the action had entered its sixth day [5]. Reports on the scale of the strike vary, with some sources stating 300 detainees are participating [2], while others describe the number as hundreds [3].

Detainees are protesting poor food quality, inadequate medical care, and violations of due process [6]. The facility has a capacity of 1,000 beds [1].

Outside the facility, activists have established a blockade to prevent the transfer of detainees to other centers [7]. These demonstrators are demanding the immediate release of the hunger strikers and the permanent closure of the Delaney Hall facility [6].

Interactions between the crowds and federal authorities have been volatile. Reports indicate that protesters have clashed with ICE agents while attempting to maintain the blockade [3].

ICE agents and facility administrators have not provided a public timeline for resolving the dispute. The protests continue as activists seek to draw national attention to the conditions inside the Newark center [7].

“Detainees are protesting poor food, medical care, and due-process violations.”

The escalation from an internal hunger strike to an external blockade suggests a coordinated effort between detainees and outside advocacy groups to pressure the federal government. By targeting the transfer process, protesters are attempting to freeze the movement of detainees, effectively using the physical site as a lever to demand systemic policy changes and the closure of the facility.