Title
Dept/ Agency: Offices of Municipal Council/City Clerk
Action: ( ) Ratifying (X) Authorizing ( ) Amending
Type of Service: Support
Purpose: Resolution Urging Governor Mikie Sherrill to Close Delaney Hall
Sponsor(s): Council Member, Louise Scott-Rountree
Additional Information:
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WHEREAS, Delaney Hall is a private immigration detention facility located in Newark, New Jersey. It is operated by the for-profit private prison company GOE Group under a 15-year, $1 billion contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and
WHEREAS, Delany Hall in Newark, New Jersey, has been the subject of significant public concern regarding conditions, oversight, and compliance with applicable laws and regulations; and
WHEREAS, the continued operation of Delaney Hall as a private detention facility has raised serious questions about transparency, public accountability, and the welfare of persons held there; and
WHEREAS, Delaney Hall is the largest migrant jail on the East Coast, with an authorized capacity of up to 1,196 individuals; and
WHEREAS, the facility has been at the center of ongoing protests and detainee hunger strikes, with community organizers and advocates raising concerns regarding alleged inhumane conditions, lack of due process, and transparency.; and
WHEREAS, Newark city officials have challenged the facility’s operations, citing a lack of necessary city permits and certificates of occupancy; and
WHEREAS, the State of New Jersey has a strong public interest in ensuring that any detention facility operating within its borders complies fully with all health, safety, zoning, licensing, and civil rights requirements; and
WHEREAS, local residents, municipal officials, community advocates, and state leaders have expressed concern that Delaney Hall is inconsistent with New Jersey’s values and public policy interests; and
WHEREAS, New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill has formally opposed the facility and called for its closure, publicly criticizing the conditions and denying officials access for facility walk-throughs; and
WHEREAS, Governor Mikie Sherrill has the authority, within the bounds of state and federal law, to take action to oppose the continued operation or expansion of private detention capacity in New Jersey.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, THAT:
1. The Municipal Council Members of the City of Newark urges Governor Mikie Sherrill to respectfully take all lawful steps available to secure the immediate closure of Delaney Hall in Newark, New Jersey.
2. The Municipal Council Members of the City of Newark urges all appropriate state agencies to conduct any necessary inspections, investigations, and or expansion to ensure full compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, public safety standards, and to take any and all necessary steps to address issues raised by detainees who are currently conducting a hunger strike at the facility.
3. The Municipal Council Members of the City of Newark urges the Governor of New Jersey and the Attorney General to oppose any expansion of private detention capacity in the State of New Jersey.
STATEMENT
Resolution urging Governor Mikie Sherrill to close Delaney Hall. The City Clerk will transmit copies of this resolution to Governor Mikie Sherrill, the Attorney General Jennifer Davenport, and such other officials as deemed appropriate.