U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is reopening the 1,000-bed detention center at Delaney Hall in Newark after reaching an agreement with the owner to reestablish the federal immigration processing facility, the government said Wednesday.
The detention center on Doremus Avenue, about three miles from Newark Airport, is six times the size of the state's only other detention center, which is in Elizabeth. No specific date was declared but ICE described the reopening as imminent.
The acting ICE director said in a statement the "location near an international airport streamlines logistics, and helps facilitate the timely processing of individuals in our custody as we pursue president trump’s mandate to arrest, detain and remove illegal aliens from our communities.”
ICE says the facility will expand its detention capacity in the Northeast, enhancing the agency’s ability to manage the region’s growing enforcement and removal operations in concert with President Donald Trump's crackdown.
"This detention center is the first to open under the new administration," acting ICE Director Caleb Vitello said in a statement. "The location near an international airport streamlines logistics, and helps facilitate the timely processing of individuals in our custody as we pursue President Trump’s mandate to arrest, detain and remove illegal aliens from our communities.”
Amy Torres, the executive director of the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, said the detention center opening in Newark is for a 15-year, $1 billion contract with the government. Pro-migrant advocacy groups like Torres' are hopeful state lawmakers will challenge the detention center.
"It’s not been since 2021, when we last passed that ban on immigration detention that the state has proactively done anything at all," said Torres.
Neither the Department of Homeland Security nor ICE immediately responded when asked for comment.
While the administration vowed to prioritize the “worst first” when it comes to arrests and deportations, the number of detainees in ICE custody without a criminal conviction or pending criminal charges increased by more than 1,800 in the first two weeks of February, representing 41% of the 4,422 total new detainees in that period, according to data obtained by NBC News.
News that the facility would reopen came after an ICE raid around 10 a.m. Wednesday at a warehouse in North Bergen. At least 12 workers were taken into custody and were not back at work Thursday.
Video from inside the warehouse caught employees by surprise. One worker said "a lot of people were crying," and called it a "tense moment."
The immigration officials were "asking people for proof of identity and residence in the U.S., as well as work permits," according to an unidentified warehouse worker.
The operation also scared some where were concerned about possible "collateral arrests."
"What we heard coming out of North Bergen yesterday was that some people did say, 'I wanna remain silent and speak to my lawyer,' and ICE officers moved to the next person," Torres said.
