Delaney Hall air conditioning broken amid dangerous heat, New Jersey congressman says
Concerns are again being raised about conditions inside Delaney Hall, a controversial U.S. immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey, as the region remains in the grips of dangerous heat.
Rep. Josh Gottheimer claimed Thursday that part of Delaney Hall's air conditioning system was broken in one section of the facility.
In a post on X, Gottheimer said his office received calls reporting the air conditioning was out at Delaney Hall and that staff inside told his office they were waiting for a replacement part to arrive.
"In the meantime, they are moving all impacted detainees into a new space with working AC. My office and I are regularly in touch with Delaney Hall, and will continue to provide updates," the congressman's post said.
"Inhumane conditions for ICE detainees"
New York Rep. George Latimer called on the Trump administration to take emergency action.
"Given the oppressive heat wave at hand, the inhumane conditions for ICE detainees at Delaney Hall and other detention facilities cannot ensure the safety of those housed there. We expect the Trump Administration to take immediate emergency action to provide cooling for detainees in these facilities - and they bear full responsibility for any harms that may result from their failure to provide adequate living conditions," Latimer wrote on X.
It was not immediately clear how many detainees were impacted by the reported AC issue or whether repairs were complete.
Neither ICE nor the private company that operates Delaney Hall, the GEO Group, responded to CBS News New York's request for comment on the air conditioning. The Department of Homeland Security has previously denied claims that detainees are treated poorly.
A complicated situation
According to people protesting outside Delaney Hall on Thursday and others who were detained, the situation inside is complicated.
"I don't believe anything that they say in terms of how they treat people inside. So, I felt it was important to come down here and get the message out that the AC is not working," said Heather Molnar.
A man from Nicaragua who said he was detained at Delaney Hall for nearly a year claimed his housing unit was hot all summer. He alleged detainees left their doors open to pull cooler air from the hallway.
"We used our T-shirts to blow air due to the extreme heat," he said in Spanish.
Vitalli, a man from Ukraine released after two and a half months, offered a different account of life inside Delaney Hall. He said he was treated with dignity.
"I glad, I go home to my family," Vitalli said.
Delaney Hall scrutinized since reopening
Delaney Hall has been under scrutiny since ICE announced the 1,000-bed facility would reopen in 2025, expanding detention capacity under President Trump's immigration enforcement crackdown.
In May, some detainees staged a hunger strike, alleging spoiled food, unsanitary conditions and inadequate access to basic hygiene products. New Jersey officials claimed state inspectors were blocked from accessing key areas of the facility.
DHS denied there were hunger strikes inside Delaney Hall and said detainees were getting three meals a day and access to comprehensive medical care.
