ICE Expands Immigration Detention With Massive Facility In Newark
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is set to reopen a large immigration detention center in Newark, marking the first such facility to open under the Trump administration. Delaney Hall, with a 1,000-bed capacity, will be the largest federal immigration detention facility on the East Coast.
ICE acting director Caleb Vitello emphasized that the Newark location provides strategic advantages. “The location near an international airport streamlines logistics and helps facilitate the timely processing of individuals in our custody,” he stated, underscoring the administration’s commitment to arresting, detaining, and removing illegal immigrants.
ICE expands detention capacity by 1,000 beds in northeast as Delaney Hall Facility reopens in Newark, N.J. Details at https://t.co/Dn6sw1kx8H
— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) February 27, 2025
The detention center, owned by private prison company GEO Group, previously held immigrant detainees from 2011 to 2017. The facility is adjacent to the Essex County Correctional Facility and has undergone $5 million in upgrades as part of its reopening. GEO Group, which secured a contract with ICE, will receive $60 million annually over the next 15 years for the use of the facility.
— Ugly Chump (@JamesWolverton6) February 28, 2025
Despite the administration’s focus on immigration enforcement, the reopening has drawn sharp criticism from Democratic lawmakers and activist groups. Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) denounced the decision, stating that the facility’s private ownership “degrades public trust” and could lead to harsh conditions for detainees. Rep. Rob Menendez (D-N.J.) also condemned the move, calling it “a step in the wrong direction.”
New Jersey’s 2021 law banning new ICE detention contracts faced legal challenges, and a federal court ruled that it does not apply to privately owned facilities such as Delaney Hall. GEO Group successfully sued the state, arguing that the law violated the U.S. Constitution’s supremacy clause.
New Jersey currently has one active ICE detention center in Elizabeth, which can house 270 detainees. Meanwhile, Pennsylvania’s Moshannon Valley Processing Center remains the largest in the region, capable of holding just over 1,000 individuals.