Protesters have claimed federal authorities at an immigrant detention center in Newark, New Jersey are ignoring health requests and providing substandard living conditions for detainees. Detainees have reportedly initiated hunger strikes since Friday.
A confrontation between a reporter and a protester occurred Tuesday at the Delaney Hall facility, which houses approximately 300 individuals across about 1,000 beds. The incident was captured on video and quickly went viral online.
During the exchange, the protester accused the reporter of having “a dirty mouth” and called her a “bh,” later adding she was a “Fking Nazi bh.” The reporter responded: “OK! So that’s just what we deal with.”
Activist Catalina Adorno reported to WABC-TV that detainees have been given food described as “rotten frozen” and in one instance found live worms. She also stated detainees are denied toilet paper and medical care requests.
The Department of Homeland Security has denied allegations about conditions at the facility. Protesters have previously attempted to block vehicles from leaving the center and have been pepper-sprayed by agents during demonstrations.
Detainees at Delaney Hall are permitted tablets for communication with the outside world.
