Delaney Hall in Newark is set to become the largest immigration detention facility on the East Coast, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) securing a new contract to reopen the site. The move is part of the Trump administration’s intensified efforts to detain and deport illegal immigrants.
ICE acting director Caleb Vitello confirmed that the facility’s reopening would enhance logistical efficiency, citing its location near an international airport as a key advantage. The center, which can house up to 1,000 detainees, is expected to be operational by June.
The facility is operated by GEO Group, a private prison company that previously ran Delaney Hall for ICE between 2011 and 2017. The company, which has spent $5 million on facility upgrades, successfully sued New Jersey to overturn a law prohibiting new immigrant detention centers. A federal judge ruled that the state law did not apply to privately run detention centers, clearing the way for the contract.
ICE expands detention capacity by 1,000 beds in northeast as Delaney Hall Facility reopens in Newark, N.J. Details at https://t.co/Dn6sw1kx8H
— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) February 27, 2025
The announcement has drawn sharp criticism from New Jersey Democrats. Rep. LaMonica McIver denounced the decision, stating that privately run detention centers “lack transparency and accountability.” Rep. Rob Menendez called it a “dangerous expansion” of immigration enforcement that would not enhance public safety.
— Ugly Chump (@JamesWolverton6) February 28, 2025
Immigrant advocacy groups have also spoken out. Make the Road New Jersey claimed the move would “incentivize terror in immigrant communities,” while the ACLU of New Jersey called it one of the largest immigration detention agreements in the state’s history.
New Jersey currently has one active ICE detention center in Elizabeth, which holds 270 detainees. With Delaney Hall’s reopening, it will surpass Pennsylvania’s Moshannon Valley Processing Center as the largest facility in the region.
