Newark, NJ – March 11, 2025 – Today, a coalition of over 30 faith-based organizations, labor unions, and immigrant rights groups gathered to protest the imminent reopening of Delaney Hall, a 1,000-bed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Newark. The demonstration, held outside the facility at 451 Doremus Avenue, drew several hundred participants advocating for immigrant rights and opposing the expansion of detention centers in the region.

Delaney Hall, which previously housed immigrants from 2011 to 2017, is set to become the first federal detention center to open under President Trump’s second term. The facility’s reopening has sparked significant concern among community leaders and residents, who fear an increase in unjust arrests and family separations.

Hazel Applewhite, CEO of the Ironbound Community Corporation (ICC), addressed the crowd, stating, “We should be focused on building schools and education, not detention centers separating families.”