ICE Expands Immigration Detention With Newark Facility As Biden-Era Limits End

The Trump administration has announced plans to reopen Delaney Hall, a 1,000-bed detention facility in Newark, marking a major expansion of ICE’s capacity on the East Coast. The facility, which was previously used for immigration detention, will be the first to open under Trump’s renewed immigration crackdown.

ICE acting director Caleb Vitello described the Newark location as a key part of the agency’s efforts to accelerate detainment and deportation processes. Its proximity to an international airport, he said, will help expedite transportation and logistical operations.

Delaney Hall, owned and operated by GEO Group, was previously used by ICE from 2011 to 2017. The private prison company secured a $900 million contract to manage the facility over the next 15 years. The deal was made possible after GEO Group successfully challenged a New Jersey law banning new immigration detention centers, with a federal court ruling that the law did not apply to private facilities.

Elected officials in New Jersey have strongly opposed the reopening. Rep. LaMonica McIver condemned the decision, arguing that privately run detention centers “undermine public trust.” Rep. Rob Menendez also spoke out against the facility, warning that it would fuel Trump’s immigration enforcement policies.

Immigration advocacy groups have echoed these concerns. The ACLU of New Jersey criticized the contract as one of the largest in the state’s history, while Make the Road New Jersey claimed the reopening would lead to increased deportations and a “climate of fear” for immigrant communities.

New Jersey currently operates only one active ICE detention center in Elizabeth, which holds 270 detainees. The addition of Delaney Hall will significantly expand the state’s detention capacity, surpassing Pennsylvania’s Moshannon Valley Processing Center as the largest on the East Coast.

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