New Jersey detention camp releases pregnant detainees in a win for activists

Following sustained protests, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centre in New Jersey’s Delaney Hall restored family visitation and released several pregnant people on June 1st.

Journalist Alex Colston celebrated the win.

Really cool news, direct action gets the goods. Keep going. https://t.co/Iy3PBP9YrS

— Alex Colston (@enoughformethx) June 2, 2026

Delaney Hall is a private detention facility run by a for-profit company, which has been accused of providing zero transparency. As protestors outside have demanded better conditions in solidarity with detainees inside, authorities have been forced to make concessions.

Early on 31st May, Newark Mayor and Democrat, Ras Baraka imposed a nightly curfew from 9pm to 6am, saying that the “police tactics over this last weekend were overly aggressive, unnecessary, and in some instances unconstitutional.”

He said:

The City of Newark sees protests all the time and we have our own way of policing based on community relationships, the integrity of protestors and upholding personal freedoms. It takes all of us to stand against the injustices of the GEO group and ICE and the plight of innocent people incarcerated at Delaney Hall.

Protesters have blamed Baraka, however, for siding with ICE agents, saying that the start of the curfew at 9 pm was to make it easier for ICE agents to undergo a shift change in the hall at that time

Worth noting that the mayor of Newark issuing the curfew start at 9pm is extremely intentional as this is round the time ICE agents undergo a shift change in Delaney Hall. This is the mayor actively collaborating with ICE to make their jobs easier. https://t.co/0OfzKMXb85

— James (@GoodVibePolitik) May 31, 2026

New Jersey detention hall: inhuman living conditions

More Perfect Union explained that the protests had resulted from inhumane living conditions and a labor and hunger strike by detained individuals.

They blamed GEO Group’s greed for the inhumane conditions at Delaney Hall, noting that the for-profit company made $254 million in profits last year, a 700% increase, while relying on tax dollars to fill their cells.

The massive protests at Delaney Hall didn’t come out of nowhere — people showed up in solidarity with those detained inside, who are on an ongoing labor and hunger strike to protest inhumane living conditions and demand their release.

The New Jersey private detention facility is… pic.twitter.com/QVK3LjRgLx

— More Perfect Union (@MorePerfectUS) June 1, 2026

A rare win for activists shows the power of community, solidarity, and sustained protests.

Featured image via Getty/Spencer Platt

By The Canary

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