Detained Women Join Hunger and Labor Strike at Delaney Hall ICE Jail in NJ

In New Jersey, immigration rights advocates say dozens of women detained at the Newark ICE jail known as Delaney Hall have joined an ongoing hunger and labor strike that is in its third week. Among their demands is for the facility to fire a female guard accused of sexually assaulting at least 10 immigrant women. The initial hunger and labor strike began on May 22, led by an estimated 300 detainees. In retaliation, activists say most of the hunger strikers have been transferred out of Delaney and sent to other ICE jails in recent days. Delaney Hall is run by the for-profit company GEO Group. In related news, the Jersey City Council has unanimously approved a resolution to divest from Citizens Bank as calls to boycott the bank grow over its financing of GEO Group and CoreCivic, two of the nation’s largest private operators of ICE jails.