Newark Mayor Ras Baraka announced he will file a lawsuit to force the closure of the ICE Delaney Hall detention center [1, 2].

The legal action follows a series of escalating crises at the facility, where detainees have reported torture and poor food quality [3]. This move represents a direct confrontation between local municipal leadership and federal immigration enforcement over the treatment of detainees within city limits.

The facility currently holds approximately 300 immigrants [3]. Tensions peaked in mid-May 2026, when detainees began a hunger strike that lasted for one week [1, 3]. This protest was triggered by claims of inhumane living conditions, and the distribution of spoiled food [1, 3].

Public unrest grew alongside the hunger strike, leading to protests and riots near the facility [1]. The situation became volatile enough that state police were required to block access to the center to maintain order [1].

Baraka said the lawsuit is a response to the systemic failures and abuses reported by those held at Delaney Hall [1, 2]. The mayor's office aims to ensure that the rights of detainees are protected, and that the facility is no longer operated in its current state [1, 2].

While the U.S. government manages the operations of ICE facilities, local officials in Newark are leveraging legal channels to address the impact of these operations on the community, and the human rights of the incarcerated [1, 2].

“The legal action follows a series of escalating crises at the facility.”

This legal challenge highlights the growing tension between city governments and federal immigration authorities. By suing to close a federal facility, Newark is attempting to set a precedent that local human rights standards and municipal oversight can supersede federal operational autonomy when conditions are deemed inhumane.