"We Demand Freedom": Immigrants Stage Mass Strike in New Jersey Prison, Fighting for Rights and Justice
On a small section of sidewalk located on a bustling industrial corridor in Newark, a dramatic scene unfolded as federal agents, equipped with rifles, metal batons, flak vests, and balaclavas, stood face-to-face with unarmed activists who were holding cardboard signs and using a bullhorn to make their voices heard. Behind the prison walls, on a soccer field, the voices of detained workers could be heard loud and clear, shouting in Spanish, "¡Libertad!" which translates to "Freedom!" in English.
It has been over a week since May 22, when approximately 300 workers decided to take a stand by participating in a work stoppage and hunger strike. During a video chat with the crowd gathered outside, one of the workers explained that they had stopped eating and working in protest of the extremely low wages they were being paid, sometimes as little as $1 an hour, or in some cases, no pay at all. The worker's message was clear: they were demanding an improvement in their living conditions. However, as the worker emphasized, their demands went beyond just better living conditions, stating, "But that's not all we demand. We are also doing this to demand freedom. We're not treated like people. We're treated like animals."
The hunger strikers have outlined a list of specific demands, including a meeting with the governor, the release of young and elderly detainees, as well as all medically vulnerable individuals, and ultimately, freedom for all detainees. For months, a dedicated group of activists from the ICE Out of NJ coalition, which comprises the immigrant rights group Cosecha, the Catholic advocacy group Pax Christi, and the worker center New Labor, has been protesting outside Delaney Hall, a 1,000-bed privately owned detention center where immigrants, mostly of Latino origin, are being held without due process.
According to reports from families and lawyers of the detainees, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, as well as guards employed by the GEO Group, the private-prison contractor, have been denying detainees access to medical care, serving them food that is infested with worms, and refusing to allow them to post bail or meet with their lawyers. Many of these detainees were taken into custody while they were working at construction job sites or still wearing their service-industry work clothes, while others were arrested while attending appointments at courthouses for green-card applications. As one worker, identified as Brian, wrote in a handwritten letter in early May, which was co-signed by 300 other detainees with their names redacted, "In our cases, we had already been processed, we were complying with legal requirements, and there was no order from a judge for our detention or arrest. ICE officers did not take into account the fact that there was already an immigration court date, and they arrested us during check-in appointments at USCIS [U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services] facilities."
The workers decided to go on strike as a means of targeting the financial interests of their jailers, but the reality is that many of them were already going without food, and their health has continued to deteriorate as a result of the strike. As Luis, a released hunger striker, explained to Radio Jornalera (Day Laborer Radio), "People aren't eating because of the strike we are organizing and there's no medical assistance." Speaking with his back to the camera to conceal his identity due to fear of retaliation by ICE, Luis shared that another detainee had become severely dehydrated and was unable to walk. Even before the strike began, food was already scarce or inedible for many of the detainees.
When hunger strikers required medical attention at the nursing center within the prison, they were met with resistance, as Luis explained, "they wouldn't lend us the wheelchair," which made it extremely difficult for them to receive the care they needed. Additionally, Luis stated that the detainees had to administer their own medication, as well as provide their own liquids with sugar and a little salt to compensate for the loss of electrolytes, which is a crucial aspect of their health and well-being. He emphasized that there has been no due process for the detentions, highlighting his own experience of being detained by ICE during a routine check-in, a situation that does not typically occur for individuals who have a legal case ongoing in the immigration system. Many people with no prior criminal records have faced exorbitant fees of upwards of $50,000 for bail, or have been outright denied the opportunity to be released on bond, which is a significant issue that affects their lives and the lives of their loved ones. As Luis pointed out to the Guardian, "If they freed us, we wouldn't generate profit for this business," which suggests that the current system is prioritizing financial gain over the well-being and freedom of the detainees. On a national level, the majority of imprisoned immigrants through 2025 had no prior criminal records, which raises important questions about the fairness and effectiveness of the current immigration system. According to a report by the American Prospect, the GEO Group is generating record profits with a federal contract valued at $1 billion, a significant portion of which comes from the labor of imprisoned immigrants who are working for little or no pay. Workers have reported being coerced into participating in the government's supposedly Voluntary Work Program through solitary confinement and other forms of torture, which is a serious human rights concern. The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution abolished slavery, but with a notable exception, "except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted," which highlights the complexities and challenges of the current system. However, as Luis and others have pointed out, all labor has value, regardless of the circumstances, and it is doubly wrong that immigrants in ICE jails haven't even been convicted and are being denied due process. In what activists have described as retaliation, on May 28, the GEO guards and ICE agents responded to the hunger strike and work stoppage with violent beatings, which has caused significant harm and distress to the detainees. Detainees have reported to their lawyers and families that striking units have even had the building's ventilation cut off, while the floors in some cells are smeared with the blood of detainees, which is a horrific and inhumane situation. As Nedia Morsy, director of the nonprofit Make the Road NJ, stated, "Right now there are ICE agents inside of Delaney Hall violently beating the hunger strikers," and warned that "someone will be killed if no one intervenes and shuts this down," which emphasizes the urgent need for action and reform. Gabriela Fuentes reported that her husband Jose Marroquin called her around 1:30 p.m. to inform her that "they were being beaten and pepper sprayed," which was a devastating and frightening experience for both of them. According to Fuentes, the situation began because ICE agents wanted to take away the only person who translates for them in the unit, which would have caused significant difficulties and challenges for the detainees. She explained that the prisoners asked the agents not to take him away, but the agents came to the unit and tried to cuff him, which led to a confrontation. Fuentes stated that the detainees lifted their hands to indicate that they didn't want to fight, but the guards took them to their cells anyway, and then the prisoners began banging on the doors, pleading to be let out, which is a heartbreaking and desperate situation.
The husband of a concerned individual reported that there was blood on the floor and walls, which the agents were now attempting to clean up, clearly indicating that they were aware of their own wrongdoing and were trying to cover it up, as evidenced by the fact that they were actively engaged in the cleanup process.
In a formal statement, Fuentes explained that she immediately rushed to the prison in order to raise awareness about the events unfolding inside, and upon her arrival, she witnessed one of the individuals being taken away by an ambulance due to the fact that a guard had broken his nose, which further highlighted the severity of the situation.
According to officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, agents responded to a physical altercation involving detainees at Delaney Hall, which sparked a significant response from authorities. Meanwhile, Homeland Security Secretary Markwyane Mullin has escalated the situation by threatening to retaliate against sanctuary cities by withdrawing Customs and Border Protection officers from airports, a move that has been widely criticized. Even before the current strike, speaking out about the conditions in the prison had resulted in retaliation, creating a climate of fear among those who dared to speak out.
As Jordi Alvarado revealed in an interview with NJ.com in early May, the detainees and their advocates have to be extremely cautious about what they say and do, as everything is closely monitored at all times, which has created a sense of unease and paranoia. In a disturbing incident, Alvarado's face suddenly disappeared from the screen of the iPhone that advocates were using to call him, and a message popped up indicating that the call had been paused, followed by another message stating that the call had ended, which raised concerns about the level of surveillance and control exerted by the authorities.
Local and federal elected officials have issued statements condemning the deplorable living conditions and treatment of detainees, with many calling for immediate action to address the situation. New Jersey Sen. Andy Kim, a Democrat, took a bold step by entering the prison on May 25, only to come out and join the protesters, where he was subsequently pepper-sprayed, which further highlighted the tensions between the authorities and the protesters. However, the ICE Out of NJ coalition is demanding more concrete action from elected officials, with Jorge Torres of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network stating that the Governor, the Attorney General, and other elected officials cannot continue to ignore the situation behind the walls of the prison, and must take immediate action to hold GEO Group and ICE accountable for the violence.
The detained immigrant workers have written three letters to legislators pleading for their release, but have received no response, which has added to their frustration and sense of desperation. New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill expressed her concerns about the prison, stating that she had never thought Delaney Hall should have been opened, citing the fact that New Jersey has a law against privately run detention facilities, and that the fact that she was not allowed to enter the facility raises serious concerns about what is happening inside.
The impunity and cruelty exhibited by the authorities, both inside and outside the immigration detention center, are blatant and disturbing. On the night of May 27, federal agents used batons to strike protesters, pushing one individual into the path of a tractor-trailer wheel, as captured in a video, which has sparked widespread outrage. On Thursday, after reports of assaults on detainees began to circulate, some local elected officials were finally allowed inside the prison, but access remains limited, and the New Jersey Department of Health was denied full access for an inspection, which has raised concerns about the lack of transparency and accountability. The reports of abuse and mistreatment often come from the families of the detained, who are desperate for justice and accountability.
U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman revealed that she has been receiving disturbing accounts from constituents who have family members being held inside detention facilities, including a mother who is allegedly being beaten by ICE agents and an 11-year-old girl who spoke to her father inside and reported that many people are being injured and bloodied. This disturbing information was shared with NJ.com on the afternoon of May 28.
One such case is that of Martin Soto Hernandez, the husband of Gabriela Soto, who was detained by ICE in January while he was out buying diapers for his family. Hernandez had previously been arrested for a domestic violence incident, but the charges were later dismissed and expunged, according to his lawyers. Despite his poor health condition, Hernandez has been actively involved in organizing a hunger strike, and as a result, he was transferred to a different detention camp in Elizabeth, New Jersey, on May 25. His lawyer has reported that Hernandez has lost a significant amount of weight, approximately 110 pounds, and is now in a frail state, described as being "skin and bones."
After Hernandez's detention, his wife, Gabriela Soto, created a GoFundMe page to raise funds for her husband's legal defense, where she expressed her concerns and emotions about the situation. She wrote, "My husband Martin Soto got illegally detained by ICE tonight," and explained that they had not fully addressed his immigration status due to his court date being scheduled for 2028. Soto emphasized the importance of having a lawyer to defend her husband, stating, "I want to be able to have a lawyer defend him so that he can stay here. His kids depend on him. His daughter knows he is her world." She also criticized the current immigration policies, saying, "This is unfair what Trump is doing to this country. He's ripping families apart, and this is not fair. Please help us."
Gloria Guerrero of New Labor also shared her thoughts on the situation, stating, "At this very moment, Delaney represents a dark and desolate world for those who sought to attain the American Dream." Guerrero, who works with domestic workers whose husbands have been detained in ICE prisons, emphasized the struggles faced by these families, saying, "Children wait for the return of parents detained by a cruel and inhumane system—locked in dungeons, treated like criminals, and stripped of every right, including the right to humane treatment." She criticized the system, saying, "Yet for others, it is the greatest business venture in history—one that utterly disregards the dignity of human beings." Guerrero described Delaney as a "Latino concentration camp" where many are forced to sell themselves out of sheer necessity, and where others are holding fast in a strike of protest and resistance, a struggle that she and her organization support and offer hope to.
The Real News Network is committed to producing fearless, fact-based reporting on the stories that matter, including those that corporate media ignores, minimizes, or gets wrong. As an independent, nonprofit, and nonpartisan organization, TRNN relies on viewers like you to sustain its reporting, with no paywalls, advertisers, or billionaire owners. Every dollar donated goes directly toward supporting the reporting that corporate media won't do, and all content is available for republishing for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license. The Real News Network is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and all donations are tax-deductible, secure, and can be canceled at any time.
The original article can be found at The Real News Network, as published on May 29, 2026, by Luis Feliz Leon, a staff writer and organizer with Labor Notes, who can be
It has been over a week since May 22, when approximately 300 workers decided to take a stand by participating in a work stoppage and hunger strike. During a video chat with the crowd gathered outside, one of the workers explained that they had stopped eating and working in protest of the extremely low wages they were being paid, sometimes as little as $1 an hour, or in some cases, no pay at all. The worker's message was clear: they were demanding an improvement in their living conditions. However, as the worker emphasized, their demands went beyond just better living conditions, stating, "But that's not all we demand. We are also doing this to demand freedom. We're not treated like people. We're treated like animals."
The hunger strikers have outlined a list of specific demands, including a meeting with the governor, the release of young and elderly detainees, as well as all medically vulnerable individuals, and ultimately, freedom for all detainees. For months, a dedicated group of activists from the ICE Out of NJ coalition, which comprises the immigrant rights group Cosecha, the Catholic advocacy group Pax Christi, and the worker center New Labor, has been protesting outside Delaney Hall, a 1,000-bed privately owned detention center where immigrants, mostly of Latino origin, are being held without due process.
According to reports from families and lawyers of the detainees, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, as well as guards employed by the GEO Group, the private-prison contractor, have been denying detainees access to medical care, serving them food that is infested with worms, and refusing to allow them to post bail or meet with their lawyers. Many of these detainees were taken into custody while they were working at construction job sites or still wearing their service-industry work clothes, while others were arrested while attending appointments at courthouses for green-card applications. As one worker, identified as Brian, wrote in a handwritten letter in early May, which was co-signed by 300 other detainees with their names redacted, "In our cases, we had already been processed, we were complying with legal requirements, and there was no order from a judge for our detention or arrest. ICE officers did not take into account the fact that there was already an immigration court date, and they arrested us during check-in appointments at USCIS [U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services] facilities."
The workers decided to go on strike as a means of targeting the financial interests of their jailers, but the reality is that many of them were already going without food, and their health has continued to deteriorate as a result of the strike. As Luis, a released hunger striker, explained to Radio Jornalera (Day Laborer Radio), "People aren't eating because of the strike we are organizing and there's no medical assistance." Speaking with his back to the camera to conceal his identity due to fear of retaliation by ICE, Luis shared that another detainee had become severely dehydrated and was unable to walk. Even before the strike began, food was already scarce or inedible for many of the detainees.
When hunger strikers required medical attention at the nursing center within the prison, they were met with resistance, as Luis explained, "they wouldn't lend us the wheelchair," which made it extremely difficult for them to receive the care they needed. Additionally, Luis stated that the detainees had to administer their own medication, as well as provide their own liquids with sugar and a little salt to compensate for the loss of electrolytes, which is a crucial aspect of their health and well-being. He emphasized that there has been no due process for the detentions, highlighting his own experience of being detained by ICE during a routine check-in, a situation that does not typically occur for individuals who have a legal case ongoing in the immigration system. Many people with no prior criminal records have faced exorbitant fees of upwards of $50,000 for bail, or have been outright denied the opportunity to be released on bond, which is a significant issue that affects their lives and the lives of their loved ones. As Luis pointed out to the Guardian, "If they freed us, we wouldn't generate profit for this business," which suggests that the current system is prioritizing financial gain over the well-being and freedom of the detainees. On a national level, the majority of imprisoned immigrants through 2025 had no prior criminal records, which raises important questions about the fairness and effectiveness of the current immigration system. According to a report by the American Prospect, the GEO Group is generating record profits with a federal contract valued at $1 billion, a significant portion of which comes from the labor of imprisoned immigrants who are working for little or no pay. Workers have reported being coerced into participating in the government's supposedly Voluntary Work Program through solitary confinement and other forms of torture, which is a serious human rights concern. The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution abolished slavery, but with a notable exception, "except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted," which highlights the complexities and challenges of the current system. However, as Luis and others have pointed out, all labor has value, regardless of the circumstances, and it is doubly wrong that immigrants in ICE jails haven't even been convicted and are being denied due process. In what activists have described as retaliation, on May 28, the GEO guards and ICE agents responded to the hunger strike and work stoppage with violent beatings, which has caused significant harm and distress to the detainees. Detainees have reported to their lawyers and families that striking units have even had the building's ventilation cut off, while the floors in some cells are smeared with the blood of detainees, which is a horrific and inhumane situation. As Nedia Morsy, director of the nonprofit Make the Road NJ, stated, "Right now there are ICE agents inside of Delaney Hall violently beating the hunger strikers," and warned that "someone will be killed if no one intervenes and shuts this down," which emphasizes the urgent need for action and reform. Gabriela Fuentes reported that her husband Jose Marroquin called her around 1:30 p.m. to inform her that "they were being beaten and pepper sprayed," which was a devastating and frightening experience for both of them. According to Fuentes, the situation began because ICE agents wanted to take away the only person who translates for them in the unit, which would have caused significant difficulties and challenges for the detainees. She explained that the prisoners asked the agents not to take him away, but the agents came to the unit and tried to cuff him, which led to a confrontation. Fuentes stated that the detainees lifted their hands to indicate that they didn't want to fight, but the guards took them to their cells anyway, and then the prisoners began banging on the doors, pleading to be let out, which is a heartbreaking and desperate situation.
The husband of a concerned individual reported that there was blood on the floor and walls, which the agents were now attempting to clean up, clearly indicating that they were aware of their own wrongdoing and were trying to cover it up, as evidenced by the fact that they were actively engaged in the cleanup process.
In a formal statement, Fuentes explained that she immediately rushed to the prison in order to raise awareness about the events unfolding inside, and upon her arrival, she witnessed one of the individuals being taken away by an ambulance due to the fact that a guard had broken his nose, which further highlighted the severity of the situation.
According to officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, agents responded to a physical altercation involving detainees at Delaney Hall, which sparked a significant response from authorities. Meanwhile, Homeland Security Secretary Markwyane Mullin has escalated the situation by threatening to retaliate against sanctuary cities by withdrawing Customs and Border Protection officers from airports, a move that has been widely criticized. Even before the current strike, speaking out about the conditions in the prison had resulted in retaliation, creating a climate of fear among those who dared to speak out.
As Jordi Alvarado revealed in an interview with NJ.com in early May, the detainees and their advocates have to be extremely cautious about what they say and do, as everything is closely monitored at all times, which has created a sense of unease and paranoia. In a disturbing incident, Alvarado's face suddenly disappeared from the screen of the iPhone that advocates were using to call him, and a message popped up indicating that the call had been paused, followed by another message stating that the call had ended, which raised concerns about the level of surveillance and control exerted by the authorities.
Local and federal elected officials have issued statements condemning the deplorable living conditions and treatment of detainees, with many calling for immediate action to address the situation. New Jersey Sen. Andy Kim, a Democrat, took a bold step by entering the prison on May 25, only to come out and join the protesters, where he was subsequently pepper-sprayed, which further highlighted the tensions between the authorities and the protesters. However, the ICE Out of NJ coalition is demanding more concrete action from elected officials, with Jorge Torres of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network stating that the Governor, the Attorney General, and other elected officials cannot continue to ignore the situation behind the walls of the prison, and must take immediate action to hold GEO Group and ICE accountable for the violence.
The detained immigrant workers have written three letters to legislators pleading for their release, but have received no response, which has added to their frustration and sense of desperation. New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill expressed her concerns about the prison, stating that she had never thought Delaney Hall should have been opened, citing the fact that New Jersey has a law against privately run detention facilities, and that the fact that she was not allowed to enter the facility raises serious concerns about what is happening inside.
The impunity and cruelty exhibited by the authorities, both inside and outside the immigration detention center, are blatant and disturbing. On the night of May 27, federal agents used batons to strike protesters, pushing one individual into the path of a tractor-trailer wheel, as captured in a video, which has sparked widespread outrage. On Thursday, after reports of assaults on detainees began to circulate, some local elected officials were finally allowed inside the prison, but access remains limited, and the New Jersey Department of Health was denied full access for an inspection, which has raised concerns about the lack of transparency and accountability. The reports of abuse and mistreatment often come from the families of the detained, who are desperate for justice and accountability.
U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman revealed that she has been receiving disturbing accounts from constituents who have family members being held inside detention facilities, including a mother who is allegedly being beaten by ICE agents and an 11-year-old girl who spoke to her father inside and reported that many people are being injured and bloodied. This disturbing information was shared with NJ.com on the afternoon of May 28.
One such case is that of Martin Soto Hernandez, the husband of Gabriela Soto, who was detained by ICE in January while he was out buying diapers for his family. Hernandez had previously been arrested for a domestic violence incident, but the charges were later dismissed and expunged, according to his lawyers. Despite his poor health condition, Hernandez has been actively involved in organizing a hunger strike, and as a result, he was transferred to a different detention camp in Elizabeth, New Jersey, on May 25. His lawyer has reported that Hernandez has lost a significant amount of weight, approximately 110 pounds, and is now in a frail state, described as being "skin and bones."
After Hernandez's detention, his wife, Gabriela Soto, created a GoFundMe page to raise funds for her husband's legal defense, where she expressed her concerns and emotions about the situation. She wrote, "My husband Martin Soto got illegally detained by ICE tonight," and explained that they had not fully addressed his immigration status due to his court date being scheduled for 2028. Soto emphasized the importance of having a lawyer to defend her husband, stating, "I want to be able to have a lawyer defend him so that he can stay here. His kids depend on him. His daughter knows he is her world." She also criticized the current immigration policies, saying, "This is unfair what Trump is doing to this country. He's ripping families apart, and this is not fair. Please help us."
Gloria Guerrero of New Labor also shared her thoughts on the situation, stating, "At this very moment, Delaney represents a dark and desolate world for those who sought to attain the American Dream." Guerrero, who works with domestic workers whose husbands have been detained in ICE prisons, emphasized the struggles faced by these families, saying, "Children wait for the return of parents detained by a cruel and inhumane system—locked in dungeons, treated like criminals, and stripped of every right, including the right to humane treatment." She criticized the system, saying, "Yet for others, it is the greatest business venture in history—one that utterly disregards the dignity of human beings." Guerrero described Delaney as a "Latino concentration camp" where many are forced to sell themselves out of sheer necessity, and where others are holding fast in a strike of protest and resistance, a struggle that she and her organization support and offer hope to.
The Real News Network is committed to producing fearless, fact-based reporting on the stories that matter, including those that corporate media ignores, minimizes, or gets wrong. As an independent, nonprofit, and nonpartisan organization, TRNN relies on viewers like you to sustain its reporting, with no paywalls, advertisers, or billionaire owners. Every dollar donated goes directly toward supporting the reporting that corporate media won't do, and all content is available for republishing for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license. The Real News Network is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and all donations are tax-deductible, secure, and can be canceled at any time.
The original article can be found at The Real News Network, as published on May 29, 2026, by Luis Feliz Leon, a staff writer and organizer with Labor Notes, who can be
followed on Twitter @Lfelizleon.
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