New Jersey: Resources for ICE Detainees

This guide is for people detained by ICE in New Jersey and for their families. New Jersey has two major private ICE detention facilities, both located near Newark Liberty International Airport in northern New Jersey: Delaney Hall in Newark and the Elizabeth Detention Center in Elizabeth. New Jersey also has county jail ICE contracts with Bergen, Essex, and Hudson counties. Delaney Hall is the largest immigration detention facility on the East Coast - 1,000-1,196 beds, operated by GEO Group under a $1 billion, 15-year contract signed in February 2025. On May 22, 2026, approximately 300 detainees at Delaney Hall launched a labor and hunger strike over alleged conditions including spoiled food, inadequate medical care, and lack of access to legal services. The strike led to major confrontations, protests outside the facility, reports of detainees being pepper-sprayed and transferred to out-of-state facilities, and lawsuits by the City of Newark, New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill, and New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport. The situation at Delaney Hall was highly volatile as of June 2026. New Jersey falls under the ICE Newark Field Office. A Roxbury warehouse conversion for 1,500 detainees has been delayed by court order pending environmental review. Last verified: June 2026.

Step 1: Find Your Family Member - Right Now

ICE Online Detainee Locator: locator.ice.gov

You need: the person's full legal name, date of birth, and country of birth - OR their A-Number (Alien Registration Number). In response to the May 2026 hunger strike at Delaney Hall, GEO Group transferred hundreds of detainees to out-of-state facilities in Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Pennsylvania. If a family member was at Delaney Hall and has disappeared, check the locator for those states immediately.

ICE Detention Reporting and Information Line: 1-888-351-4024 (toll-free)

EOIR Immigration Court Case Status: 1-800-898-7180

ICE Newark Field Office: Newark.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov | (862) 445-9200

ICE Newark Field Office address: 970 Broad Street, 11th Floor, Newark, NJ 07102

Delaney Hall (Newark) detainee inquiries: (973) 474-2200 - 8 AM-4 PM

Elizabeth Detention Center inquiries: (908) 282-5700

American Friends Service Committee NJ Rapid Response Hotline: (888) 600-5762 - To report ICE arrests and locate detained family members in New Jersey.

Step 2: Where ICE Detainees Are Held in New Jersey

Delaney Hall Detention Facility - Newark (Largest on East Coast, VOLATILE)

Delaney Hall Detention Facility, Newark, NJ 07105 (Industrial area near Newark Liberty Airport)

Phone (8 AM-4 PM): (973) 474-2200

ICE case information: Newark.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov | Newark Field Office deportation officer: (862) 445-9200

Tablets: ICE Talton Tablets - messaging at gettingout.com

Operated by: GEO Group under 15-year, $1 billion contract with ICE

Authorized capacity: 1,000-1,196 beds

Delaney Hall is the largest immigration detention facility on the East Coast of the United States, located in an industrial section of Newark next to Essex County Jail, near a natural gas plant, sewage treatment facility, and animal fat rendering plant. It was previously an ICE detention facility from 2011 to 2017 before being converted to a halfway house. GEO Group reopened it as an ICE facility in May 2025 under a $1 billion, 15-year contract. As of early April 2026, it held approximately 591 detainees, of whom 76 had criminal convictions and 123 faced criminal charges - meaning the majority had neither.

CURRENT STATUS - HIGHLY VOLATILE: On May 22, 2026, approximately 300 detainees launched a coordinated labor and hunger strike over conditions that their attorneys and advocates described as including spoiled food (at times with worms), inadequate medical care for chronic conditions, inability to access legal services, and a miscarriage that reportedly did not receive proper care. DHS and GEO Group denied the allegations and the existence of a hunger strike. The response to the strike included: physical altercations between guards and detainees, tear gas and pepper spray used against striking detainees, transfer of strike leaders and large numbers of other detainees to out-of-state facilities in Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Pennsylvania, and suspension of visitation. Outside the facility, police and ICE agents used pepper balls and mace on protesters. New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill was denied full access for a health inspection. NJ Attorney General Jennifer Davenport filed a lawsuit seeking access for health inspectors. The City of Newark expanded its existing lawsuit to include health and safety violations.

Visiting (as of pre-strike policy, verify current): Tuesday and Thursday 4-9 PM; Saturday, Sunday, and holidays 7:30 AM-7 PM. Maximum 4 visitors at a time. Valid government ID required. Detailed dress code applies (see facility). No undergarments with underwire permitted. Children under direct adult supervision. IMPORTANT: Visitation was suspended following the May 2026 strike and subsequent retaliation. Verify current visitation status by calling (973) 474-2200 before traveling.

Mail: [Detainee Full Name + A-Number], Delaney Hall Detention Facility, [Newark, NJ - confirm current mailing address]. ICE complaints: Newark.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov | Newark Field Office, 970 Broad Street, 11th Floor, Newark, NJ 07102

Elizabeth Contract Detention Facility - Elizabeth

625 Evans Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07201

Phone (24 hours): (908) 282-5700

ICE case information: Newark.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov

Virtual attorney visits: Elizabethvirtualattorneyvisitation@corecivic.com

Operated by: CoreCivic

Capacity: Approximately 300 ICE detainees

The Elizabeth Contract Detention Facility (EDC) is one of the oldest immigration detention centers in the country - it opened in 1994 and has been in continuous operation since, except for a brief closure. Operated by CoreCivic (formerly CCA), it is located in Elizabeth (Union County), approximately one mile from Newark Liberty International Airport. It is one of the facilities that receives detainees transferred from Delaney Hall - including Martin Alonso Soto Hernandez, a Delaney Hall detainee whose wife is pregnant, who was transferred to Elizabeth and placed in isolation following the hunger strike.

Conditions concerns have been documented at EDC since its opening - including dirty water, unwashed uniforms, no access to medicine or soap, and retaliation against detainees who file complaints.

Visiting: Attorneys authorized 7 days a week 6:45 AM onward. Family visiting hours - contact (908) 282-5700 for current schedule. Coats and hats not permitted in the Contact Visitation area; space is provided. Valid government ID required. Minors must be accompanied by adult guardian (18+). All visitors subject to search.

Attorney VTC: Elizabethvirtualattorneyvisitation@corecivic.com

Phone: (908) 282-5700 for urgent messages

ICE complaints: Newark Field Office, 970 Broad Street, 11th Floor, Newark, NJ 07102

County Jails Holding ICE Detainees

Three New Jersey county jails also hold ICE detainees under contract:

Bergen County Jail - Hackensack

160 South River Street, Hackensack, NJ 07601 | (201) 336-3500

Bergen County Sheriff: (201) 336-3500 | ICE case info: Newark.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov

Essex County Correctional Facility - Newark

354 Doremus Avenue, Newark, NJ 07105 | (973) 274-6200

Essex County Sheriff: (973) 274-6200 | ICE case info: Newark.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov

Hudson County Correctional Facility - Kearny

35 Hackensack Avenue, Kearny, NJ 07032 | (201) 395-6700

Hudson County Sheriff: (201) 395-6700 | ICE case info: Newark.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov

Roxbury Warehouse - Morris County (BLOCKED - Verify Status)

Roxbury Township, Morris County, NJ - Route 46 area. DHS purchased this 470,000-square-foot warehouse in February 2026 for approximately $130 million, planning to use it as an ICE processing center for up to 1,500 detainees. New Jersey and Roxbury Township sued to block it; in May 2026, the federal government agreed to a delay for a mandatory environmental assessment under NEPA before construction can proceed. Verify current status at ice.gov or by calling Newark.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov - the delay could end and construction could resume at any time. If operational, this would be New Jersey's third private ICE detention facility.

Step 3: Get Legal Help

New Jersey has strong immigration legal infrastructure, concentrated in Newark, Elizabeth, and the New York metro area. Given Delaney Hall's retaliatory transfers to distant states, getting a lawyer involved quickly is urgent - once someone is transferred to Texas or Louisiana, legal access becomes dramatically harder.

American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) - NJ Program

afsc.org/newjersey | Rapid Response Hotline: (888) 600-5762

AFSC New Jersey has been the most active community organization responding to Delaney Hall's May 2026 hunger strike, documenting conditions, coordinating with families outside, and publishing detailed accounts of retaliation inside. AFSC's rapid response hotline (888-600-5762) is the primary community contact for reporting ICE arrests and detained family members in New Jersey.

New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice (NJAIJ)

njaij.org - Statewide immigrant rights coalition that has been active in monitoring conditions at both Delaney Hall and the Elizabeth Detention Center. Contact for advocacy resources and legal referrals.

Volunteer Lawyers for Justice

vljnj.org | Newark - Provides pro bono legal representation to low-income New Jersey residents, including immigration detention cases. Contact for immigration legal screening.

Make the Road New Jersey

maketheroad.org/newjersey - Community organization providing immigration legal services and rapid response to ICE enforcement in New Jersey. Active in documenting Delaney Hall conditions.

Resistencia en Acción New Jersey

Executive Director Ana Paola Pazmino - Active in organizing outside Delaney Hall and supporting detained immigrants. Contact through njaij.org for referrals.

Legal Services of New Jersey

lsnj.org | 1-888-576-5529 - Statewide free civil legal services; contact for immigration referrals.

Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey - Immigrant Legal Services

Contact through njaij.org for referrals to immigration attorneys.

New Jersey Immigrant Assistance Project (NJCPA)

Contact through njaij.org or AFSC for immigration legal services in northern New Jersey.

EOIR Pro Bono List

Both Delaney Hall and the Elizabeth Detention Center are required to post pro bono legal service lists in housing units. Ask your family member to request the list. For Delaney Hall, use the Talton tablet messaging (gettingout.com) or call (973) 474-2200 to relay a message. For Elizabeth, call (908) 282-5700.

Immigration Advocates Network

immigrationadvocates.org - National searchable directory; search by New Jersey.

Step 4: Bond - How to Get Someone Released

Bond allows a detained person to be released from ICE custody while their immigration case proceeds. New Jersey falls under the ICE Newark Field Office and the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. Having an attorney dramatically increases the chance of obtaining and reducing bond. Multiple reports document that Delaney Hall detainees have been pressured to sign Voluntary Departure - coercively, without interpreters and without legal counsel. Do not sign anything without consulting an attorney.

Bond posting for New Jersey detainees

Bond for New Jersey ICE detainees is posted at the ICE Newark Field Office:

ICE ERO Newark: 970 Broad Street, 11th Floor, Newark, NJ 07102 | (862) 445-9200

Payment: Money order, cashier's check, or certified check payable to 'Department of Homeland Security.' Bring the detainee's full name, A-Number, and bond order.

A licensed immigration bond agent can post bond electronically.

Bond Funds

National Immigrant Bond Fund

immigrantbondfund.org - National fund; requires family contribution.

NJ community resources

Contact AFSC NJ ((888) 600-5762), NJAIJ, and Make the Road NJ for current New Jersey-specific bond assistance resources.

Step 5: Communication at New Jersey Facilities

Delaney Hall - Newark

IMPORTANT: As of late May/June 2026, visitation at Delaney Hall was suspended in response to the hunger strike. Call (973) 474-2200 to verify whether visitation has been restored before traveling.

Pre-strike visiting hours (verify current): Tuesday and Thursday 4-9 PM; Saturday, Sunday, holidays 7:30 AM-7 PM. Max 4 visitors. Valid ID. Dress code applies - detailed rules at facility. No underwire undergarments. No coats in visitation.

Tablets: Talton tablets - messaging at gettingout.com

Phone: Outgoing only. (973) 474-2200 for urgent messages.

Attorney VTC: Through ERO eFile (ice.gov); Monday-Saturday 8 AM-6 PM; 60-minute increments; walk-in visits still permitted but scheduled visits prioritized.

Elizabeth Detention Center - Elizabeth

Phone: (908) 282-5700 (24 hours) for urgent messages.

Visiting: Contact (908) 282-5700 for current hours. Coats/hats not permitted in visitation area. Valid government ID required. Children must be accompanied by adult 18+.

Attorney VTC: Elizabethvirtualattorneyvisitation@corecivic.com

Mail: [Name + A-Number], Elizabeth Contract Detention Facility, 625 Evans Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07201

County Jails

Bergen County: (201) 336-3500 | Essex County: (973) 274-6200 | Hudson County: (201) 395-6700

Contact each facility directly for current visiting hours and procedures.

Step 6: New Jersey's Enforcement Context and Your Rights

Delaney Hall hunger strike and retaliation - June 2026 status:

The May 22, 2026 hunger strike at Delaney Hall and its aftermath represent one of the most significant ICE detention crises in recent years. The documented pattern of retaliation - pepper spray on striking detainees, transfers to distant facilities, solitary confinement of strike leaders, suspension of family visitation - is important for families to understand. If a family member at Delaney Hall has been transferred out of state suddenly, they may have been moved in response to the strike, not for any legal or administrative reason. Track location using the ICE Detainee Locator daily and contact AFSC NJ at (888) 600-5762 immediately.

New Jersey's legal resistance:

New Jersey has been one of the most active states in legally challenging ICE detention. Governor Sherrill has publicly called for Delaney Hall's closure. AG Davenport has filed suit demanding health inspection access. Mayor Baraka and Newark have been in yearlong litigation with GEO Group. NJ had a law banning private immigration detention, but a federal court struck it down; NJ is still appealing. The Roxbury warehouse has a court-ordered delay. This active legal environment may create additional protections for NJ detainees - monitor news closely.

Voluntary Departure pressure:

AFSC documents that voluntary departure signatures have increased more than seven times compared to the Biden era. AFSC reports these are being signed under coercive conditions, without interpreters, and without legal counsel. This is a rights violation. If a family member tells you they were pressured to sign a voluntary departure form, contact a lawyer immediately. Say: 'I will not sign anything without speaking with a lawyer first.'

Out-of-state transfer risk:

Hundreds of Delaney Hall detainees have been transferred to Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Pennsylvania as retaliation for the hunger strike. Out-of-state transfer puts you far from NJ legal resources and makes legal representation dramatically harder. If a transfer happens, track the new location via the ICE Detainee Locator and contact AFSC NJ and Make the Road NJ immediately.

Key rights every detainee has:

The right to speak with an attorney in private. Delaney Hall attorneys documented barriers to legal access; report any denial to AFSC and AG Davenport's office.

The right to a bond hearing before an immigration judge.

The right to be free from physical, sexual, and verbal abuse - including from guards using pepper spray during peaceful protests.

The right to adequate food free of contamination.

The right to access medical care, including for chronic conditions and emergencies.

The right to not be placed in solitary confinement as retaliation for asserting your rights.

The right to communicate with your home country's consulate (free calls required).

To report conditions, abuse, or file a complaint:

AFSC NJ Rapid Response: (888) 600-5762

NJ Attorney General: (609) 292-4925 - AG Jennifer Davenport has been actively investigating Delaney Hall

DHS Inspector General: oig.dhs.gov | 1-800-323-8603

ICE Newark: Newark.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov

Quick Reference - New Jersey ICE Detainee Resources

Find a detainee:

ICE Detainee Locator: locator.ice.gov

ICE Detention Reporting Line: 1-888-351-4024

EOIR Case Status: 1-800-898-7180

ICE Newark Field Office: Newark.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov | (862) 445-9200

Report arrest / locate missing family member:

AFSC NJ Rapid Response: (888) 600-5762

New Jersey ICE detention facilities:

Delaney Hall (Newark, VOLATILE): (973) 474-2200 - verify visitation status before traveling

Elizabeth Detention Center: 625 Evans Street, Elizabeth - (908) 282-5700

Bergen County Jail (Hackensack): (201) 336-3500

Essex County (Newark): (973) 274-6200

Hudson County (Kearny): (201) 395-6700

Legal help:

AFSC NJ: afsc.org | (888) 600-5762

NJAIJ: njaij.org

Make the Road NJ: maketheroad.org/newjersey

Volunteer Lawyers for Justice: vljnj.org

Post bond:

ICE ERO Newark: 970 Broad Street, 11th Floor, Newark, NJ 07102 | (862) 445-9200

Report Delaney Hall conditions:

NJ AG: (609) 292-4925 | DHS OIG: 1-800-323-8603

Sources and verification: NJ Monitor, 'ICE Plans Massive New Immigrant Detention Center in Newark,' February 27, 2025 (Delaney Hall 1,000-bed largest East Coast; GEO Group $60 million annual 15-year contract; first immigration detention center Trump administration; closeness to Newark airport key; NJ AG Michael Symons 'private detention facilities threaten public health and safety'; NJ law banning private immigration detention struck down by federal judge 2023 NJ appealing; Elizabeth Detention Center ~300 detainees second private facility); Wikipedia Delaney Hall (GEO Group $1 billion contract 15 years; 1,196 authorized capacity; previously 2011-2017 then halfway house; reopened May 2025; largest facility type East Coast; April 2026 591 prisoners 76 criminal convictions 123 criminal charges; May 22 2026 ~300 detainees hunger labor strike; lawyers spoiled food worms medical care; DHS denied hunger strike; guards struck detainees batons pepper spray transferred protest leaders ended family visitation; outside protests May 28 26 Senator Kim; May 29 Bovino post gesture; May 31 Baraka overnight curfew industrial area; June 3 curfew lifted; Sherrill denied access May 2026; Governor NJ law never should have opened; Kim 'shameful' spoiled food retaliation); TIME/CNN/ABC reporting May-June 2026 (300 hunger labor strikers; lawyers food spoiled with worms; medical care chronic conditions; one miscarriage not properly cared for; retaliation pepper gas transferred solitary; protesters outside pepper balls mace; Sen. Andy Kim tear gas; DHS 'political stunt' 'NO hunger strike' 'NO subprime conditions'; Homan unannounced visit ate same food; Tom Homan border czar; Baraka: 'I'm sure they gave him good food'; NJ AG Davenport suit health inspection access; Newark expanded suit health safety violations; Martin Alonso Soto Hernandez wife pregnant detained buying diapers January 20 transferred Elizabeth isolation denied phone; NJ Gov denied access); AFSC NJ June 2026 (afsc.org; Erica Ruales mother Ariadna Zumba 18 high school senior nearly two months released early June; hundreds transferred CO AZ NM TX LA MS PA far from families; GEO severely restricted visitation approved visitor list family members only; 300 detainees organized for months coordinating with activists; governor proposed expanding legal representation; voluntary departure signatures increased 7x Biden era signed under coercive conditions without interpreters or legal counsel; GEO profits $32 million 2024 to $254 million 2025); NJ Monitor Roxbury May 12 2026 (DHS purchased Route 46 warehouse February nearly $130 million; up to 1,500 people; third NJ detention facility; NJ Roxbury lawsuit water sewer bathroom; GOP Roxbury Township Council 22,000 population 42 police; federal government agreed delay environmental assessment NEPA; initial plan open as soon as next month; NJ Gov Sherrill AG Davenport Roxbury Mayor Potillo joint statement; No Ice North Jersey Alliance David Broderick 'best we could have hoped for'); Philadelphia Inquirer June 18 2026 (Delaney Hall decades history EDC 1994 warehouse Elizabeth 300 detainees; Bergen Essex Hudson county jails; Delaney Hall 2000 halfway house substance abuse low-level offenses; 2008 Essex County Executive Vincenzo 'home run new revenue'; ICE detention NJ peaked 2009 then declined 2015 then 2017 executive order; Ulla Berg Rutgers NJ detention scholar co-editor Elizabeth Detention Center Rutgers University Press 2026); ICE Delaney Hall page (ice.gov; (973) 474-2200; Newark.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov; (862) 445-9200 Newark Field Office deportation officer; Talton tablets gettingout.com; Sat Sun holidays 7:30 AM-7 PM Tue Thu 4 PM-9 PM visiting; max 4 visitors; no firearms; not intoxicated; no items pass; subject search; undergarments with underwire not allowed; undergarments restriction; ERO eFile VTC attorney Mon-Sat 8 AM-6 PM 60-min increments walk-in permitted; Newark Field Office 970 Broad Street 11th Floor Newark NJ 07102 complaints); ICE Elizabeth page (ice.gov; 625 Evans Street Elizabeth NJ 07201; (908) 282-5700 24 hours; Elizabethvirtualattorneyvisitation@corecivic.com; attorneys 7 days 6:45 AM onward; coats hats not permitted Space provided; valid ID; minors 18+ guardian; all subject search; 970 Broad 11th floor Newark complaints). Volatile items: Verify Delaney Hall current visitation status (suspended following May 2026 hunger strike; call (973) 474-2200 before traveling; GEO restricted to family members only); verify Delaney Hall current detainee population (591 April 2026; hundreds transferred post-strike; verify current count); verify Roxbury warehouse current status (NEPA environmental assessment agreed May 2026; assessment takes months; verify whether construction has resumed or facility opened); verify Bergen Essex Hudson county jail current ICE contract status and populations (verify at ice.gov or Newark.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov); verify NJ appeal of federal court ruling striking down NJ private detention ban (NJ appealing 2023 ruling; if overturned could affect Delaney Hall and Elizabeth); verify Delaney Hall address (industrial Newark near Essex County Jail near Newark airport; facility itself does not appear on ICE page with full street address; confirm current mailing address at geogroup.com or by calling (973) 474-2200). Last verified: June 2026.