Protesters outside Delaney Hall, a migrant detention center in Newark, New Jersey, accused U.S. immigration agents of using pepper spray and batons against them during a demonstration Monday as tensions escalated over an ongoing hunger strike inside the facility. The protest centered on Martin Soto, a detainee who announced the strike and whom supporters said ICE was preparing to transfer. Officials said he was ultimately moved to the Elizabeth Contract Detention Facility.
The unrest began after reports that Soto was being taken from Delaney Hall, where detainees have been staging a hunger and work strike over alleged poor conditions and inadequate medical care. According to advocates, roughly 300 detainees signed a letter describing the facility as overcrowded and unsafe, with insufficient treatment for those with medical needs. The strike has called for the release of elderly detainees, younger detainees, and people with health conditions.
Soto’s wife, Gabriela, has emerged as a leading voice in the protest effort outside the center. She said she tried to visit her husband Sunday when she saw him being pushed toward a van. Gabriela, who is reportedly pregnant with the couple’s third child, rushed toward the vehicle and said she physically tried to stop the transfer. Protesters then gathered around the entrance, chanting support for Soto and other detainees and attempting to block any removal.
By early Monday, the confrontation intensified. Demonstrators said ICE agents moved vehicles near the back gate and began pushing protesters away from the roadway. Witnesses alleged that agents shoved people onto sidewalks, forced them into parked cars and used pepper spray against at least one demonstrator. One protester reportedly suffered a leg injury. Supporters said the crowd was trying to prevent Soto’s transfer and keep pressure on authorities over the strike conditions.
A DHS spokesperson defended the operation, saying about 125 protesters surrounded the facility, formed a human chain and blocked entrances and exits. DHS said Soto, described as an undocumented immigrant charged with assault, was scheduled for transfer on May 24, 2026, but protesters obstructed the vehicle and damaged it with objects. The department said ICE later dispersed about 70 protesters, cleared barricades and successfully transferred Soto to another detention facility. DHS also said visitation was suspended temporarily for safety reasons.
The facility’s operator, GEO Group, said it provides detainees with medical care, visitation, library access, translation services, meals and religious accommodations, and said its ICE centers are accredited. The company defended its role in supporting federal immigration enforcement.
Legal advocates said they had contacted the U.S. attorney’s office after earlier concerns that Soto might be moved out of state despite a federal judge’s order limiting such a transfer while his habeas petition is pending. Gabriela Soto also alleged that guards questioned Martin about her protest organizing and treated him punitively after her activism became public.
New Jersey Sen. Andy Kim and Gov. Mikie Sherrill visited the site Monday morning to meet with families and community advocates. Kim said Delaney Hall should be shut down immediately, accusing ICE of operating in an unacceptable manner.
