Today, Congressman Rob Menendez released the following statement after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced the death of an individual detained at the Delaney Hall immigration detention facility operated by GEO Group:
“The reported death of an individual who had been detained at Delaney Hall is deeply disturbing and follows months of serious concerns raised by myself, my fellow New Jersey delegation members, and many groups that have warned of the terrible conditions at this private immigration detention facility. The Trump Administration and ICE have completely disregarded safety, basic human rights, and common decency at detention centers across the country.
“This Administration has attempted to impede the lawful oversight authority of myself and other Members of Congress in inspecting conditions at Delaney Hall and other detention centers, and incidents like this are exactly why. I am further disturbed by reports that there were delays in transporting this individual to University Hospital when minutes are able to make the difference between life and death in medical emergencies. While the Trump Administration will never hold itself accountable, my colleagues and I will continue to work to shut down Delaney Hall and private detention centers to prevent further avoidable tragedies.”
Congressman Rob Menendez has been a leader in the House of Representatives on oversight of immigrant detention centers, and earlier this year present at the Delaney Hall detention center in Newark with Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) and Congresswoman LaMonica McIver (NJ-10) in an incident that resulted in national attention to the issue. Congressman Menendez has worked to ban private immigrant detention centers and fought the Trump Administration’s illegal restrictions on oversight of detention centers. He has also conducted several unannounced visits of detention centers including Delaney Hall and the Elizabeth Detention Center and has long advocated for the humane and dignified treatment of individuals in detention.
Congressman Menendez has proudly represented New Jersey’s Eighth Congressional District since 2023. He is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and is Vice Chair of Policy for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
