New Jersey officials are currently looking for four detainees who escaped from the Delaney Hall immigrant detention facility in Newark, the Department of Homeland Security told USA TODAY.
“DHS has become aware of 4 detainees at the privately held Delaney Hall Detention Facility escaping,” officials said. “Additional law enforcement partners have been brought in to find these escapees and a BOLO (be on the lookout bulletin) has been disseminated.”
Delaney Hall has been the subject of continuous complaints due to the alleged unsuitable conditions inside the facility.
Various immigration rights groups said detainees have protested over insufficient food and other poor conditions at the facility. Unrest led to a large law enforcement response on Thursday, June 12, and groups said there were reports of agents deploying tear gas and pepper spray.
The 1,196-bed Delaney Hall is the first immigrant detention facility to open during the second term of President Donald Trump, the Bergen Record, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported.
Newark mayor: ‘We must put an end to this chaos’
In a post on X, Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka referenced the escaped detainees while criticizing the conditions inside the detention facility.
“This entire situation lacks sufficient oversight of every basic detail – including local zoning laws and fundamental constitutional rights,” Baraka said. “We must put an end to this chaos and not allow this operation to continue unchecked.”
Federal immigration agents arrested Baraka on May 9 and charged him with trespassing when he went to visit Delaney Hall. The charge was later dropped.
“I didn’t go there to break any laws, I didn’t break any laws,” Baraka said at the time of the incident. “I was there as the mayor of the city, exercising my right and duty as an elected official.”
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 4 escapees from New Jersey immigrant detention facility sought
