State sues operator over barred health inspectors
By: Scott Fallon
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey
..... The state health commissioner sued the operator of Delaney Hall - the controversial immigration detention center in Newark - on June 2, [2026] saying they have barred health inspectors from critical areas of the facility.
..... In an 18-page lawsuit field in state Superior Court in Essex County, Commissioner Raynard Washington said the GEO Group allowed his team access only to the food service areas during an inspection on May 28. [2026] The inspectors were not allowed to observe conditions at the medical unit, bathrooms, showers or sleeping areas or the facility's heating, ventilation and air conditioning system.
..... Representatives for the GEO Group did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
..... Washington said he sent in the team after seeing complaints raised about overcrowding, poor ventilation, lack of medical care, unsanitary bathrooms and other conditions at Delaney Hall.
..... "Any facility housing people in New Jersey must meet basic standards under the law to prevent the spread of disease, keep food and water safe, and minimize health risks," Washington said in a statement announcing the lawsuit. "that includes Delaney Hall.
..... The Health Department routinely inspects medical facilities such as hospitals and nursing homes that it licenses. It is also able to inspect other facilities including a "public or private place of detention," the lawsuit says.
..... Delaney Hall has been at the center of the debate in New Jersey over President Donald Trump's escalation of arresting undocumented immigrants since he took office last year. [2025] Rep rots of a hunger strike in late May [2026] over poor conditions at Delaney Hall drew large protests outside the facility that resulted in clashes with police in recent days.