ICE Detainees on Hunger Strike Say They Were Pepper Sprayed

Detainees inside the Delaney Hall immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey, told Newsweek that they launched a hunger strike to protest conditions inside the facility, delays in their immigration cases, and alleged that officers responded with pepper spray and force during a subsequent confrontation.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), has consistently rejected allegations of mistreatment and denied that a hunger strike is taking place.

"Another day, another hoax about ICE,” a DHS spokesperson told Newsweek via email on Tuesday. “Delaney Hall is NOT a forced labor camp. No one is denied medical care. There is no hunger strike.”

The Delaney Hall facility was placed in the national spotlight after detainees launched a hunger strike in late May to protest conditions inside the center and delays in immigration case processing, according to detainees and advocacy groups. The strike sparked large-scale protests outside the facility and increased scrutiny from progressive lawmakers and advocates.

The detainee accounts, provided by two men who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation, describe similar concerns about food, water quality, medical care and what they said was a confrontation inside the facility that weakened participation in the strike.

“It was terrible. I had to vomit. I can’t hold food down. I ate, I couldn’t take it anymore,” one man told Newsweek in a phone interview Monday from inside Delaney Hall, a privately run GEO Group facility.

One detainee alleged that officers entered a May 28 meeting of detainees during the strike, used force and pepper spray, and injured at least one person.

"We were choking from the pepper spray," the man said.

Another detainee described the hunger strike as a “peaceful” refusal to eat but said some participants abandoned the protest after officers allegedly deployed pepper spray.

"We can confirm that on May 28, 2026, staff responded to a physical altercation involving detainees at Delaney Hall,” GEO Group said Tuesday in a statement sent to Newsweek. “In accordance with established policies and protocols approved by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, staff implemented appropriate response and control measures to safely resolve the situation, including the limited use of chemical agents. The safety and well-being of those in our care and our staff is our top priority, and any such response is carried out in strict adherence to federal standards and comprehensive training. Following the incident, all affected detainees were promptly evaluated by on-site medical personnel and were cleared with no serious injuries."

The DHS spokesperson said that on May 28, staff responded to a physical altercation involving detainees at the facility and used what it described as the minimum amount of force. The department said all detainees involved were evaluated by on-site medical personnel afterward and were cleared with no serious injuries.

One detainee, who said he entered the United States on humanitarian parole and has a pending asylum case, told Newsweek that officers used force against detainees during a gathering called amid a hunger strike.

He said detainees were summoned to the dining hall for what they believed would be a meeting with facility leadership.

“It was a lie, it was a trick,” he said. “When we entered, they closed the doors.”

According to his account, officers entered abruptly and moved to restrain one detainee.

“One of my companions was on the phone when one of the officials in charge of calls walked up and elbowed him in the face-right in front of me and everyone there. It broke his nose,” he said.

He said officers then deployed pepper spray in the enclosed room.

"They closed off the dining hall, and we were choking from the pepper spray," he said, describing detainees struggling to breathe as the spray spread. The injured detainee later fainted, he said, while others gathered around in panic.

“That stuff suffocates you,” he said. “I’m highly allergic. I got down low and crawled out. My companions were choking. Then they started firing rubber ball projectiles. Nine of our companions were injured-one with a broken nose, others soaked in pepper spray, hit by the rubber balls. One had foam coming from his mouth.”

Those injured were taken to a hospital and later placed in solitary confinement, he said.

He added that ventilation appeared to be shut during the incident and that the heat was increased afterward.

"They turned the heating up very high, so it was very hot," he said. "They don't want us here."

The detainee said he entered the United States through legal channels and complied with immigration requirements but argued that conditions in detention and uncertainty in the legal process had driven detainees to protest. Despite the drop in participation, he said some detainees planned to continue the hunger strike.

"We will continue the strike. We are prepared," he said.

GEO Group said in the statement: "GEO categorically rejects these baseless allegations, which are part of a coordinated, politically motivated campaign by outside groups to dismantle ICE and federal immigration detention by targeting the government's facility contractors.

“We are proud of the role our company has played for 40 years to support the law enforcement mission of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Over the last four decades, our innovative support service solutions have helped the federal government implement the policies of seven different Presidential Administrations. 

“In all instances, our support services are monitored by ICE, including by on-site agency personnel, and other organizations within the Department of Homeland Security to ensure compliance with ICE's detention standards and contract requirements regarding the treatment and services ICE detainees receive.  In the event issues are identified, we quickly resolve all of ICE's concerns as required by ICE's Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan.

“The support services GEO provides include around-the-clock access to medical care, in-person and virtual legal and family visitation, general and legal library access, translation services, dietician-approved meals, religious and specialty diets, recreational amenities, and opportunities to practice their religious beliefs. Additionally, all of GEO's ICE Processing Centers are independently accredited by the American Correctional Association and the National Commission on Correctional Health Care.

“At locations where GEO provides health care services, individuals are provided with access to teams of medical professionals including physicians, nurses, dentists, psychologists, and psychiatrists.  Ready access to off-site medical specialists, imaging facilities, Emergency Medical Services, and local community hospitals is also provided when needed.”

Another detainee, who said he has been in custody since October after his asylum request was denied and is on appeal, described the protest as a refusal to eat.

“The only thing we have done is decide not to go to eat,” the man told Newsweek in Spanish in a phone interview.

The detainee said participation declined after a confrontation involving officers inside the facility.

"The people after the beating that they gave us in here… some of them gave up," he said, adding that some detainees were pepper sprayed and feared further incidents. "They are afraid that something like that will happen again."

The detainee added that officials have closely monitored participation.

"They now make a list of the people who are going to eat," he said, adding that detainees are required to record identifying information when receiving meals.

The same detainee called living conditions inadequate.

"The water is very bad," he said. "It tastes strange, no matter where it's taken from."

He called the food "tasteless" and said overcrowding and noise made it difficult to sleep.

"No one sleeps well," he said. "The medical care in here…is very poor."

Both men said they are committed to raising awareness about conditions inside the facility and continuing to fight their immigration cases.

"We are protesting so that we are given a real opportunity," one man said.

Several Democratic members of Congress who attempted to inspect the facility were initially denied entry, lawmakers said. Family visitation was partially restored after being suspended during the unrest following the start of the hunger strike, which sparked large-scale protests outside the facility.

Federal agents also installed barricades around the site as demonstrations continued.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said Tuesday that the city plans to file a lawsuit against the operators of Delaney Hall, seeking to close the detention center, citing reports of health and safety concerns.

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This story was originally published June 2, 2026 at 3:13 PM.