4 escape New Jersey immigrant detention facility, search ongoing
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
4 escape New Jersey immigrant detention facility, search ongoing
Four detainees escaped from the Delaney Hall immigrant detention facility in Newark. The 1,196-bed facility is the first to open during the second term of President Donald Trump. Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka has criticized the conditions inside the detention facility. The detention facility has been the subject of continuous complaints due to the alleged unsuitable conditions.. Unrest led to a large law enforcement response on Thursday, June 12, and reports of agents deploying tear gas.
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_.
Migrants Escape New Jersey Immigration Detention Center
Four detainees at the privately-run Delaney Hall Detention Facility in Newark, New Jersey, have escaped. A manhunt is underway to find them. The escape appears to have taken place in the wake of an inmate uprising and anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement protests outside the facility Thursday evening. Additional law enforcement personnel have been assembled to aid in the search while federal immigration authorities are calling on the public to help them locate the detainees. The facility became the focus of controversy in May when Democratic Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was denied entry into building and arrested after he allegedly “committed trespass”
A DHS spokesperson confirmed Friday that four detainees at the privately-run Delaney Hall Detention Facility in Newark, New Jersey, have escaped and a manhunt is underway to find them. Additional law enforcement personnel have been assembled to aid in the search while federal immigration authorities are calling on the public to help them locate the detainees. (RELATED: ‘The Stakes Are Real’: Border Hawks Counting On ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ To Reach Finish Line)
“DHS has become aware of 4 detainees at the privately held Delaney Hall Detention Facility escaping,” a senior official with the department stated to the Daily Caller News Foundation. “Additional law enforcement partners have been brought in to find these escapees and a BOLO has been disseminated.”
“We encourage the public to call 911 or the ICE Tip Line: 866-DHS-2-ICE if they have information that may lead to the locating of these individuals,” the spokesperson continued.
The escape appears to have taken place in the wake of an inmate uprising and anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement protests outside the facility Thursday evening.
Roughly 50 inmates at the Newark detention center got together and knocked down a dormitory room wall in reaction to their meals allegedly being late, according to NJ Advance Media. Outside of the facility, around three dozen individuals belonging to groups that regularly protest were demonstrating against immigration enforcement and witnessed heavily armed authorities arrive around 6:00 p.m.
The Delaney Hall Detention Facility became the focus of controversy in May when Democratic Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was denied entry into building and arrested after he allegedly “committed trespass and ignored multiple warnings from Homeland Security Investigations to remove himself from the ICE detention center,” according to interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba.
Baraka was originally charged with trespass for the incident, but the charge was later dropped by federal prosecutors. However, the Newark mayor, who is vying to become the next governor of New Jersey, is now waging a lawsuit over the matter.
Democratic New Jersey Rep. LaMonica McIver, one of several lawmakers present during the Delaney Hall incident, has since been indicted for allegedly assaulting and obstructing immigration officers during the confrontation.
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