House panel clashes over Delaney Hall conditions amid accounts of detainee mistreatment

A House Judiciary subcommittee hearing Wednesday on the Delaney Hall ICE detention center highlighted sharply differing views over the treatment of detainees, with Republicans rejecting allegations of abuse and Democrats pointing to reports of inadequate medical care, poor sanitation, and deaths in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody.

The hearing, titled “ False Narratives: Exposing the Truth About ICE Detention Facilities, ” focused on conditions at Delaney Hall, an immigration detention facility in Newark, New Jersey, operated by the GEO Group under contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The facility reopened in 2025 after the Trump administration expanded detention capacity to support increased immigration enforcement.

Fifty‑four people have died in ICE custody since the start of fiscal 2025, which is 125% more detainee deaths than occurred during all four previous fiscal years combined (24 deaths), according to ICE detainee death reporting data .

Republicans defend Delaney Hall Subcommittee Chair Rep. Jefferson Van Drew, R-New Jersey, said: “We’re here today because of a narrative that has been told over and over again for weeks… that…