House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) called for the closure of the Delaney Hall immigration detention facility on Tuesday after visiting the site.
The demand signals a high-level legislative push to overhaul federal immigration detention standards amid ongoing criticism of facility conditions across the U.S.
Jeffries visited the ICE detention facility located in Newark, New Jersey, on June 2, 2026 [1]. During an interview following the tour, he said that the conditions at the facility are inhumane [1].
"It should be shut down," Jeffries said [1].
The Democratic leader linked the necessity of closing the facility to a broader philosophy of government oversight and human rights. He argued that the current state of the Newark facility fails to meet basic standards of decency, a failure that necessitates the site's termination [1].
Jeffries further addressed the systemic nature of immigration processing in the U.S. during his remarks. He emphasized that the legal process for those detained should not strip individuals of their dignity [2].
"Immigration enforcement in this country, it should be fair, just, and humane," Jeffries said [2].
The call for the closure of Delaney Hall comes as lawmakers continue to debate the balance between national security and the treatment of detainees. Jeffries did not provide an immediate legislative timeline for the closure but used the visit to highlight what he described as an unacceptable environment for detainees [1].
“"It should be shut down."”
This call for closure by the House Democratic leader elevates the Delaney Hall facility into a focal point for national immigration reform debates. By framing the issue as a matter of basic human rights rather than just policy, Jeffries is positioning the Democratic leadership to push for stricter oversight or the decommissioning of specific ICE facilities that do not meet updated humanitarian standards.
